A Cleaner Roadmap

The Indian Express     3rd November 2021     Save    

Context: India’s climate ambitions required a new technologies and support from developed nations.

India’s roadmap to upscale climate ambitions

  • Commitment to reduce one-billion tonne projected emissions by 2030: India is now moving with 130-odd countries on the fraught issue of net zero emissions.
    • India is committed for the first time to scale down the GHG footprint and marks the rarest-of-rare occasion of a COP beginning with a carbon budget cut.
  • Renewable energy (RE) as lynchpin of country’s decarbonisation drive: By 2030, India will ensure 50% of its energy is derived from renewable sources;
    • India has increased its Paris Pact ambition by 10% and committed to install 500 GW of RE by 2030.

Challenges before India’s climate ambitions

  • Unpredictable nature of new technologies will pose challenges, especially when the country’s economy is expected to grow several notches.
  • Concerns in energy sector: Discoms aren’t in position to invest in grid and consumer billing infrastructure, mounting operating losses.

Way Forward

  • Reforms in energy sector:
    • Need for better coordination between state electricity boards so that utilities with surplus power can make up for the deficits of others.
    • Need to keep a cushion of traditional power to cope with the fluctuations in RE supply.
    • Technological and administrative changes is needed in management of grid and traditional power plants.
    • RE-driven regime required better efficiencies from the distribution infrastructure.
  • Demand side options such as improving efficiency of household appliances or tweaking operations of agricultural pumps will also warrant attention.
  • Developed countries need to step up: Developed countries need to do much more by way of facilitating technology transfers to the country with the fifth highest RE capacity.