THE 500 GW SWITCH OVER

Coal is the king of energy at present. India needs to dislodge it with clean energy for an equitable green transition

- SUNITA NARAIN, NIVIT KUMAR YADAV, BINIT DAS AND ARVIND POSWAL

IN AUGUST 2022, India submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change its target to reduce the emissions intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels), and to achieve 50 per cent of cumulative electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. This is part of the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (ndcs) for achieving climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement. In addition, the country has increased its target for installed non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030, from 175 GW renewable energy by 2022. According to the Union Ministry of Power, this translates into the 50 per cent non-fossil energy target pledged under the ndc. In other words, India aims to have 50 per cent “clean” energy infrastructure by the end of this decade, displacing the current “king” of energy—coal-based power plants.