Pollution drop could pressure India’s energy policymakers
The lockdown has markedly cleaned the country’s air. Will citizens demand permanent change or will economics trump climate concerns?
India’s nationwide lockdown, which began in late March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been one of the strictest in the world. Travel and transport have been severely curtailed, with a subsequent material downward impact on economic activity. Having been extended through April and the first two weeks of May, a phased easing process began from 17 May. In a significant silver lining to the economic downturn, the country has recorded its lowest levels of pollution in decades—including in hugely symbolic ways. The grand Himalayan mountain range, otherwise permanently cloaked in smog, is visible from the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Ganges river, sacred to India’s Hi
Also in this section
9 January 2026
OPEC+ remains on track as output falls, with only Gabon failing to hit its output targets in December, although Kazakhstan’s compliance was involuntary
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
