India's slow non-fossil energy progress puts its climate ambitions at risk

It's also driving up investment in polluting coal power generation as demand for energy increases

- Debarshi Dasgupta

At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his country's bold target of increasing non-fossil energy capacity nearly fivefold to 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.

But three years on, the likelihood of India reaching that goal is in question.

Less than half of the wind, solar, hydro, bio power and nuclear projects needed to achieve this target have been installed. Its pace of renewable capacity build-up - just 18.48GW was added between April 2023 and March 2024, for instance - is slower than what is needed to meet the 2030 goal.

This not only puts India's broader climate targets at risk but is also driving increased investment in polluting coal power generation, as the country's growing energy needs outstrip growth in renewables.

Ramping up green energy is key to India's Glasgow pledge of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, which is two decades later than developed nations.

These climate and green energy goals will face scrutiny at the COP29 UN climate talks in Baku from Nov 11 to 22 and even after, as India, along with nearly 200 nations party to the UN Paris Agreement, must submit a new set of plans by early 2025 setting out their more ambitious targets for 2035.

India - the world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter - is predicted to be the world's largest energy consumer by 2050, so reducing its dependence on fossil fuels is key if the world is to limit global warming.

The country currently relies on coal to generate around 70 per cent of its electricity. Burning coal is the single largest source of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas heating the planet and causing deadly air pollution.

India's renewable energy capacity crossed the 200GW mark in October and accounts for 46.3 per cent of the country's total electricity generation capacity.