According to official figures released on Tuesday, India saw a 58 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 1994 and 2007. This was mainly due to the coal-reliant power sector, which almost doubled its emissions during this time period. Overall emissions reached 1.9 billion tonnes in 2007 compared to 1.2 billion in 1994, with the industry and transport sectors also contributing more to Asia's third largest economy. This data confirms India's position as one of the top five carbon polluters globally. In comparison, India's emissions growth between 1994 and 2007 was more than Australia's total annual emissions. Despite this, India still has relatively low per-capita emissions, at about a tenth of the United States. The power sector was responsible for 719.30 million tonnes of emissions in 2007, up from 355.03 million tonnes in 1994, while the transport sector's emissions increased to 142.04 million tonnes from 80.28 million tonnes during the same period. During the same period, industrial emissions in India increased by slightly more than 30 percent. While agriculture's contribution to the Indian economy has decreased in recent years, emissions from this sector saw a slight decrease between 1994 and 2007. The report emphasizes India's increasing importance in U.N.-led climate negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol, and stresses the necessity of involving major developing countries in global efforts to combat climate change. According to figures in the government report unveiled by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at a conference in New Delhi, India is nearing Russia as the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with emissions totaling nearly 2.2 billion tonnes in 2007. China remains the top emitter of greenhouse gases that are causing global warming. The United States is ranked second in emissions, with Russia's emissions growing slower than India's. India's economy is expanding rapidly at 8 percent a year in an effort to reduce poverty, leading to increased investment in various industries including coal-fired power stations and renewable energy. In 2007, the emissions of the United States and China were nearly four times that of India. India's GDP energy intensity decreased by over 30 percent from 1994 to 2007 due to proactive efforts and policies. He stated that they plan to keep following this trend. Energy intensity is the measure of energy used per unit of gross domestic product. India has set a target to reduce carbon intensity by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. India's last official emissions report to the United Nations was in 1994, as developing countries like India are not required to report emissions annually unlike wealthier nations. The most recent UN emissions data for developed countries is from 2007. Even though India has introduced a new climate plan that highlights renewable energy, such as solar power, as a crucial component, coal continues to be the main source of energy in a country where nearly half of the 1.1 billion population lacks access to electricity. India has 10 percent of the world's coal reserves and aims to increase power generation by 78.7 gigawatts over the next five years, with the majority coming from coal, which currently makes up about 60 percent of the nation's energy mix. While developing nations now contribute more than half of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, this number is expected to rise in the near future as poorer countries adopt renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. A report supported by the government last year predicted that India's greenhouse gas emissions could reach between 4 billion tonnes and 7.3 billion tonnes by 2031, but per-capita emissions would still be below the global average.