India’s plan to ramp up coal mining by 2030 could significantly increase its methane emissions, which may significantly exacerbate climate change, a report has found.

The energy think tank Ember has called on India to urgently develop a robust national policy to address methane emissions from coal mines.

Methane is a greenhouse gas thought to have a global warming effect more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It is thought to be responsible for 20% to 30% of climate warming since the Industrial Revolution, although it dissipates much faster in the atmosphere – only around 12 years compared to centuries for carbon dioxide.

While India has been ramping up its solar power generation at an impressive rate, unprecedented increases in electricity demand are still outpacing the capacity for renewables to bridge the growing gap.

India is currently the world’s second-largest producer, importer and consumer of coal. It is also one of the biggest emitters of methane from coal mining.