Solar leadership beckons India

Rakesh Kamal  |   Published: 29th Nov 2017  12:05 am Updated: 29th Nov 2017  12:14 am

Bullish as usual on coal, US President Donald Trump delivered a message to celebrate the opening of a Pennsylvania metallurgical coal mine. “We have withdrawn the United States from the horrendous Paris climate accord, something that would have put our country back decades and decades; we would have never allowed ourselves to be great again,” Repeated pleas of staying in the Paris climate accord by leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and Nobel laureate Al Gore have fallen on deaf ears.

During the last few weeks, negotiators and observers from across the world participating in the climate negotiations at COP23 in Bonn were anxious. There was a fear that with the US withdrawing, many others would follow suit.

With Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the focus has shifted to other responsible high emitting countries like China, India and the European Union to tackle climate change. This Bonn Summit showed that climate leadership is now being looked more as a collaborative effort rather than that of an individual country.

Paris Commitments

Right on the first day, it was made clear by India and China that developing countries need to keep their Pre-2020 commitments as the Paris Agreement will come into force only after 2020. Under the Pre-2020 commitments, $100 billion in climate finance has been committed, of which only a fraction has been delivered. The developing countries negotiated and made sure that the Pre-2020 ambition and implementation formed a major part of the COP23 final text.
The discussion on who pays for the loss and damage caused by climate change has been a major contention. With Fiji preceding the talks, there was high expectation that this year will be the year of loss and damage. Developing countries have been demanding that a permanent agenda item on loss and damage and an expert group on finance be included but in the negotiations only succeeded in getting an expert dialogue to be held in 2018.
The snail’s pace of these negotiations also seems very discouraging to many. However, the negotiations have so far managed to give a strong push for countries to better their National Action Plans on climate change with clear targets. The long-term goals set at these conferences also signal positivity to the renewables market and the last few years of growth in the sector could be attributed to the momentum built for these climate negotiations.

Silver Lining

India is lately in a Catch-22 situation — with it being one of the top greenhouse gas emitters (only behind China, US and the EU) as well being vulnerable to climate change. With ever-expanding infrastructural growth, its emissions will only increase. A long coastline, snowy mountains, perennial rivers and dependency of agriculture on the monsoon make the country highly vulnerable to climate change.

But there’s a silver lining in all these dark clouds. Efforts made by the Indian government to promote renewables are now reaping benefits with the cost of renewable energy production falling to record low every month. Five years ago, solar companies in India were producing a kilowatt/hour for Rs 7 but now it is down to Rs 2.44; cheaper than coal. The recent Cabinet approval of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (Ireda) listing will increase equity base and help it raise more debt for funding projects.

The Indian government-supported International Solar Alliance (ISA) is also making headlines with its innovative approach and financial mechanisms to replicate successful programmes and promote solar in untapped markets. With more than 15 countries signing the ISA Framework Agreement, it will become a legitimate entity soon. Similarly, by expanding Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited on the lines of ONGC Videsh to enter the international market, India can sell solar energy in untapped markets in Africa thereby increasing the production demand.

Turning Point

While all the above by the Indian government are good initiatives, greater emphasis must be on the most beneficial and effective mechanisms to deploy solar (and not necessarily the easiest way out). Rooftop solar, rural electrification with renewable energy and solar parks should be prioritised in the same order because the losses are low in the first two options and the benefits are direct even if it is a difficult path.

Now all that is required is the right mix of policy and financial support to nurture the markets so as to take the various green initiatives forward. We must also not pass up on the opportunity of being one of the largest markets for solar energy. India’s dilemma can be its biggest opportunity by giving a thrust to greening businesses and by encouraging holistic and sustainable living. We are at a turning point in the renewable energy sector in the sub-continent and efforts must be made to keep the curve going.

To achieve the targets set by countries, there’s a need for increased efforts in domestic mitigation actions like decentralised rooftop solar and rural electrification. These efforts would be more successful if coupled with a mass awareness campaign. There is also a need for an ecosystem for innovation and technology development in the renewable energy space, which is completely missing.

Get Going

India needs to plan before it is too late and promote research on renewables and support production of solar panels in India. Promotion of microgrids, environmental-friendly biofuels and continued support to the renewable industry is a must for efforts to be sustainable on a long-term basis.

So, to be a new leader in international forums in the ever-changing world energy dynamics, India needs to first internally educate its citizens on climate literacy, empower individuals to make better climate-friendly choices and make it an issue that people can relate to and demand the government to provide better cleaner alternatives. If you can win at home, you can conquer the world.

(The author works for climate reality, and is a clean energy and climate policy expert. @Rakeshkamal)

Originally published i Telangana Today on 29th November