G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding

India provides significant government support for fossil fuels, averaging USD 44.6 billion between 2017 and 2019, primarily through consumer price supports and state-owned enterprise investments in oil and gas. While consumer subsidies for petrol, diesel, and kerosene have decreased, public finance for fossil fuel-based power and SOE investments have increased. The document also highlights unquantified support via power distribution utility bailouts and lower GST rates for coal.

• Between 2017 and 2019, India's total average annual government support for fossil fuels was USD 44.6 billion. This total comprises USD 22.5 billion for fossil fuel use, USD 13.1 billion for oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and transportation, USD 7.6 billion for fossil fuel-based power, and USD 1.5 billion for coal exploration, production, processing, and transportation.
• India has seen a rise in certain types of fossil fuel support relative to the 2014–2016 average, specifically a 146% increase in public finance (mostly for fossil fuel-based power) and a 38% increase in state-owned enterprise (SOE) investment (mostly in oil and gas production).
• There has been a reduction in consumer subsidies for kerosene, diesel, and petrol, leading to a 3% drop in government support for fossil fuel consumption compared to the 2014–2016 average.
• Additional unquantified support for fossil fuels exists through the Goods and Services Tax, which is lower for coal than other minerals, and through large bailouts and conditional loans for distressed power distribution utilities to pay coal-powered generators.
• Coal India Limited is investing USD 6.75 billion in coal transportation infrastructure to increase domestic production and reduce reliance on imports.

APA

Viswanathan, B. (2020). G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-india.pdf

Chicago

Viswanathan, Balasubramanian. G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-india.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Viswanathan |first1=Balasubramanian |title=G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-india.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{viswanathan2020g20, author = {Viswanathan, Balasubramanian}, title = {{G20 Scorecard of Fossil Fuel Funding}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/g20-scorecard-india.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }