Decarbonisation, Renewable Energy Adoption, Sustainable Practices — What India Must Do To Achieve Net Zero By 2070

G20 Summit 2023: India aims to become a net-zero economy by 2070, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in 2021, at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). According to the UN, reaching net zero means that a country will ensure that carbon dioxide emissions from anthropogenic activities are balanced by human efforts to remove carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, creating carbon sinks to absorb carbon dioxide is an example of a human effort to remove carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, attaining net zero will stop further increases in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 

In order to transition to net zero, a country must completely transform its energy, transportation, production and consumption systems. These steps will help prevent the worst consequences of climate change. 

The world's governments can keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius by ensuring that all greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2025, and reaching net zero in the second half of the 21st century. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced by 45 per cent before 2030, compared to 2010 levels. 

India is already in the race to lead the global supply of zero-carbon technologies such as renewable energy and electric vehicles, along with four other major economies: China, Japan, the European Union, and the United States. By manufacturing and deploying zero-carbon technologies, India can create jobs, and reduce emissions in key sectors. India can fulfil its ambitions of becoming a significant part of the global net-zero supply chain, and benefit from a transition to a net-zero economy in the near future, if additional investments, including from wealthier nations, are secured. 

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Why a net-zero transition is necessary, and how India aims to do so

A net-zero transition is important because it will reduce all greenhouse gas emissions along the value chain, and help other countries strengthen their energy security, economic prosperity, and industrial competitiveness. 

By switching to electric vehicles and renewable energy, nations have amplified their net-zero investment. According to a report published by a pan-European think tank named Strategic Perspectives, net-zero technologies are expected to overtake fossil fuel investment this year. 

India not only wants to become a net-zero economy by 2070, but also aims to produce 500 Gigawatts of renewables by 2030, and make 50 per cent of its energy mix non-fossil fuel by 2030. 

However, several hurdles lie in India's path to becoming a net-zero economy. These challenges include the fact that India does not have large lithium-ion battery production yet, has less financial capacity to invest in research and development, is still very dependent on technological transfer, including that from China, and has less capital to spend on research, development, and demonstration.

In order to understand how India can achieve net zero by 2070, ABP Live spoke to Harjeet Singh, Head of Global Political Strategy, Climate Action Network International (CAN-I), a global network in over 130 countries working to combat climate crisis; Dr Krishna Vasudevan, Indian Centre Coordinator, Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS), IIT Madras, & Professor, Dept of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras; Dr Anjal Prakash, Clinical Associate Professor (Research) and Research Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business; and Professor Anamika Barua, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Guwahati.

Decarbonisation, adoption of renewable energy such as solar and wind energies, sustainable practices, increased investment in the electric vehicle industry, international financial reforms, policy execution, technological advancements, international collaboration, climate finance from wealthier nations, and development of indigenous zero-carbon factories are some of the measures that can help India achieve net zero by 2070. 

India's population is vast, has urgent development needs, and is characterised by an extensive carbon-intensive infrastructure, all of which make attaining net-zero emissions by 2070 a monumental task, said Singh. “While the hurdles are considerable, the confluence of technological advancements, international collaboration, and rigorous policy execution can make this audacious goal attainable. Realising this vision demands a judicious strategy: methodical decarbonisation, accelerated adoption of renewable energy, and embedding sustainable practices across various industries. International solidarity is paramount, and it is incumbent upon wealthier nations to honour their commitments, aiding India's pursuit of this objective.”

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Hydrogen economy, renewable energy microgrids can help India achieve net zero

Hydrogen economy, which refers to an economy that uses hydrogen as the commercial fuel to sustain a considerable portion of a nation's energy and services, can play a major role in India's transition to net zero.

“Moving towards net-zero requires a multi-pronged approach, which tackles emissions from the power industry, auto industry and the hard-to-abate sectors. The hydrogen economy could play a major role in this as well, along with a shift to renewables,” said Dr Vasudevan. Suitable policies need to be implemented to ensure that a transition to hydrogen can reduce carbon dioxide levels in several sectors, he said.

Dr Vasudevan explained that renewable energy microgrids, such as those managed by the Energy Consortium at IIT Madras, help mitigate carbon dioxide emissions from hard-to-abate sectors. He added that a distinguished IAS officer once said that India can achieve net zero by 2050 itself, and that this is possible through renewable energy transition, such as the installation of solar grids. “Whether India can achieve net zero by 2070 - this is of course a question, the answer of which can only be an opinion. Last year in December 2022, we had an Energy Finance Conference co-hosted by the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS) and the keynote speaker was a distinguished IAS officer, Mr Ajay Shankar, retired, and is now with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). He expressed a very optimistic note that India will achieve this by 2050 itself. The opinion is based on his experiences with installation of solar systems and how we did much better than initial expectations. Going by the discussions in the conference, and the quantum of activity that is going on, I think that we will do significantly well.”

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Explaining what the central government must do to ensure that India achieves net zero by 2070, Dr Vasudevan said that the government is looking at whether village energy consumption can be made possible through renewable energy microgrid connections. “This move would enable them to generate locally, cut transmission losses, and make the system quite manageable locally. On a larger scale, this could potentially lead to a resilient grid structure, and enable renewable penetration in a manageable way. Storage technologies are also key. The government should enable proper grid operation studies to enable transition to a renewable energy grid to achieve net zero.”

How energy efficiency can reduce emissions

Another way to reduce power consumption, and eventually reduce emissions, is ensuring energy efficiency. If policies are framed to give incentives to companies to keep their energy consumption in check, and develop technologies that could result in breakthrough reductions rather than incremental changes, net zero can soon be achieved, said Dr Vasudevan. “One of the key approaches would be electrification possibilities.”

Electrification refers to the technique of replacing technologies or processes using fossil fuels with electrically-powered equivalents, such as electric vehicles, according to the International Energy Agency.

Carbon capture technologies and international collaborations

The International Solar Alliance, which is an alliance of more than 120 countries, including India, and a massive solar capacity expansion are some of the steps taken by India towards renewable energy adoption. According to Dr Prakash, the pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 “reflects a long-term vision for India's sustainable development”. He explained that several challenges persist, including India’s heavy reliance on coal, energy demand growth, and limited technology for sectors like heavy industries and aviation. 

Dr Prakash said that in order to achieve net-zero emissions, India would need to accelerate renewable energy deployment, enhance energy efficiency, and develop carbon capture technologies. “Transitioning industrial processes, transportation, and agriculture to low-carbon models is essential. Policy frameworks, economic incentives, and international collaborations are vital for success. The timeline raises questions due to the magnitude of changes required and potential barriers. While meeting the target demands significant efforts and innovation, continuous commitment, global partnerships, and adaptable strategies could increase the likelihood of achieving this ambitious goal.”

Professor Barua said that while international cooperation, policy changes, and investments in sustainable practices are necessary to address the challenges of climate change, climate finance is required for research and innovation, especially in climate science. “If we have all of these in place, net zero is possible. But we do not have time so we need to act now!”