Delhi Facing Potential 50°C Temperatures Without Urgent Decarbonization, Warns Former Minister

Jayant Sinha, Former Union Minister of State for Finance and Civil Aviation, issued a stark warning on Monday regarding New Delhi's climate future.

The former minister cautioned that Delhi could face extreme temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius if India fails to implement urgent decarbonization measures.

Speaking at the Transition Accelerator event, organized in partnership with Boston Consulting Group and the Confederation of Indian Industry, Sinha emphasized that Delhi's deteriorating air quality and rising temperatures signal an urgent need for immediate climate action.

"The AQI is over 300 primarily due to fossil fuel-based vehicular emissions," Sinha stated, highlighting the dramatic changes in the city's climate patterns.

He noted that "maximum temperatures in Delhi will exceed 50 degrees Celsius in the future without decarbonization," adding that despite being post-Diwali, night temperatures remain unusually high with air conditioners still running.

Sinha characterized the current environmental situation as a "moment of reckoning" for India, emphasizing that the country's development trajectory must align with its climate commitments.

"We must dramatically reduce our carbon emissions and achieve net zero by 2070. Development must continue, but we must decarbonize. We need clean water, clean air—we need it all," he asserted.

The former minister pointed out that India currently emits over 3.5 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, underscoring the urgent need for a nationwide shift toward clean energy, green infrastructure, and electric mobility.

Sinha stressed that India's economic aspirations and environmental goals are inseparable: "Viksit Bharat and Sustainable Bharat are two sides of a coin, they need to go together."

He emphasized that achieving the vision of a USD30 trillion economy depends on effectively integrating sustainability into India's growth model.

"To develop India with the GDP of a developed country, we need to build clean and green. That's the path for sustainable prosperity," Sinha stated, advocating that India's next economic expansion phase must be powered by renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.

The former minister called for collective responsibility across industries, policymakers, and citizens to ensure environmentally sustainable growth.

"We can move forward on a sustainable trajectory amid global competitiveness," he said. "India's rise will only be meaningful if built on a foundation of clean air, pure water, and climate resilience."

At the event, James Schofield, Managing Director of ITA, revealed that the organization has identified 65 commercial-scale green industrial projects across various sectors including aluminum, cement, steel, chemicals, aviation, and shipping.

"These projects represent over USD150 billion in investment potential, 200,000-plus jobs, and more than 160 million tonnes CO2e in emissions abatement," Schofield stated, explaining that the initiative aims to unlock India's clean industrialization opportunity and mobilize stakeholders to address key investment barriers.