NEW DELHI: With the Paris agreement on climate change coming into effect on Friday, NITI Aayog has begun laying the road-map to cap the carbon emission commitment without compromising its high growth objectives.
The 15-year vision document is being prepared by a panel of think tanks under the close watch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will substantially address India’s commitments on climate change as well as the United Nation’s sustainable development goal on clean energy.
“NITI Aayog is in the midst of drafting the National Energy Policy 2040, which will also include the roadmap for achieving the commitments to the Paris agreement to be fulfilled by 2030. India without compromising the high economic growth objectives will be on course to meet the climate change targets and may even surpass the goals” said top sources in NITI Aayog.
India has committed to cap its electricity generation from fossils (carbon sources) to 60 per cent by 2030, while the remaining 40 per cent of power has to be generated from the non-fossil (renewable) sources of energy.
“India had a 193 Giga watt power capacity as on 2012, which included 100600 MW from coal and 24,000 MW from gas. Thus the fossil as primary energy sources accounted for 67 per cent of the total electricity generation. With technological intervention and even while factoring in the expansion of the power capacity to address the demands of the economy, India will be on course to deliver on international commitments,” sources said.
Incidentally, NITI Aayog has mapped the average plant efficiency of electricity generation at 33 per cent, which is much below the international benchmark.
India is also a signatory to the UN’s sustainable development goal on clean energy (Goal number 6).
“The cost of solar power is already down to Rs 6 a unit and going forward it will further come down significantly with cheaper batteries made available. India will mostly be building the small hydro power plants, which come under the renewable category,” said sources.