Indicators of energy use

the International Energy Agency ( iea ) based in Paris has undertaken a project in India to evolve indicators for energy use. The project aims to study patterns of energy use in various sectors, specifically identified for India. Each sector will be further simplified in terms of end-use applications. These indicators will be evolved keeping in view the Indian economy's structure, fuels which are being used, climatic conditions and lifestyle. The existing indicator giving ratio of energy use to gross domestic product, provides neither a measure of how efficiently energy is being used or how it has performed better as compared to previous years. But the iea project is going to be successful when policy-makers ensure that these indicators will not become mere instruments to coerce India into reducing fossil fuel emissions.