Long‐Term CO ₂ Emissions From Anthropogenic Sectors and Recent Climatology of India

The present study identifies anthropogenic CO 2 hotspots over the Indian region using columnar ( X CO 2 ) measurements from multiple satellites (AIRS, GOSAT, and OCO‐2/3) along with anthropogenic CO 2 emissions from EDGAR, covering ∼23 years (2002–2024). The results indicate that India exhibited an annual CO 2 trend of 2.31 ppm year −1 , corresponding to a 17% increase in atmospheric CO 2 during the study period. To further characterize anthropogenic CO 2 sources, additional proxies of urban and industrial activities were analyzed: night‐time light (NTL) data for urbanization, NO x (NO + NO 2 ) emissions for industrial activities, and atmospheric NO 2 concentrations, as these species are co‐emitted during fossil‐fuel combustion. The combined analyses consistently identified major anthropogenic CO 2 hotspots across India, with Sonbhadra and Vindhyachal emerging as the highest‐emitting coal mining and thermal power plant regions, respectively. The results also reveal that industrialization surpasses urbanization in contributing to enhanced emissions. To understand the climatic implications of CO 2 emissions, ERA5 and IMD data sets were examined across Köppen climatic zones for the same period. The Tundra (ET) climatic zone is found to be rapidly warming and drying, whereas the Tropical Monsoon (Am) zone exhibits a favorable balance between dense vegetation and urbanization, resulting in minimal seasonal temperature variability. In contrast, the Indo‐Gangetic Plain (IGP) and National Capital Region (NCR) show significant increases in land surface temperatures during both day and night. Overall, the study highlights the need for region‐ and sector‐specific mitigation strategies for India, with particular attention to the IGP and NCR regions where warming trends are most pronounced.