India’s urban population is exploding. That could have huge consequences for the planet

Addressing the opening session of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Friday, Indias current prime minister, Narendra Modi, said all developing countries must be given a fair share in the global carbon budget the amount of planet-warming carbon pollution the world can emit and still avoid climate catastrophe.. ..

India has made significant investments and set ambitious targets for renewable energy, the UNEP report said, noting that the worlds fastest growing major economy has earmarked over $4 billion toward energy transition in this years national budget.. ..

In 2021, Modi pledged India would achieve net zero emissions by 2070, which is still a couple of decades later than developed economies.. . Transforming Indias energy sector, like most things in the country, is going to be chaotic and muddled, but it will have far-reaching implications for the global energy market and the race to limit global warming.. . Indias net zero by 2070 target, if met in full and on time along with all respective national targets, will take the world to 1.7 degree Celsius global average surface temperature rise by 2100, said Siddharth Singh, energy investment analyst at the IEA.. ..

We cannot phase out fossil fuels unless we have nuclear or until [energy] storage becomes viable, Indias power minister R.K. Singh said last week, just days after he had said that the country wont be rushed into reducing its use of coal.. ..

There has probably never been a better time than now for India to grow more sustainably, said Tim Buckley director of Sydney-based think tank Climate Energy Finance.. . Thats because of two main reasons: the world is seeing unprecedented levels of investment in clean technologies following Russias invasion of Ukraine and solar energy is getting significantly cheaper, he explained.. ..

You might be interested in