Coal will remain the primary source of power generation in India in the coming few decades. According to a leaked document reported by BBC, the country told the United Nations (UN) that it plans on keeping coal as its main source of power generation in the near future.
As per the document, India is one of the countries that have been lobbying in the UN against completely switching away from fossil fuels.
Countries will be requested to commit to cutting down greenhouse gas emissions at the COP26 climate summit scheduled for November.
India is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter after China and the US.
India is targeting renewables and nuclear energy to make up for 40% of the country’s installed electricity capacity by 2030. As per the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) this goal can be achieved ahead of time.
India remains the second-largest consumer of coal in the world as the fuel powers over 70% of its grid. India has informed the team of scientists responsible for the compilation of the UN report for the summit being held in Glasgow, that it will be challenging for the country to completely move away from coal.
The reports are from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and they contain evidence on the best approach to slow down global warming. IPCC is the UN body working on climate change.
According to the leaked reports, a senior scientist from India’s Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research said, “In spite of substantial growth in the renewable energy sector in India, coal is likely to remain the mainstay of energy production in the next few decades for sustainable economic growth of the country”.
CAT has estimated that by 2030, India’s emissions intensity will drop to 50% under 2005 levels, surpassing its avowed target of 35%. However, the country has not yet disclosed when or how it plans to achieve net-zero emissions.
The biggest carbon emitter and coal consumer in the world — China — has sworn to go carbon neutral by 2060. Coal demand in China has also flattened, possibly leaving the future of fossil fuel at the hands of Indian policymakers.
