Abstract:

India’s biggest asset as a global energy transition advocate and change agent is its own example. India is the only G20 nation whose actions are consonant with a sub 2°C rise in global temperatures. Its achievements in energy transition is way beyond its NDCs. Further, India is making brisk progress towards its ambitious goal to install 450 GW of renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2030. It has also emerged as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for investments in Renewable Energy.

Most important of all, India’s energy transition is citizen-centric. It is powered by schemes that have provided electricity access and clean cooking fuel to millions of households (SAUBHAGYA and PMUY), enabled the installation of hundreds of thousands of solar agri-pumps (PM-KUSUM) and improved livelihoods through skill development (SCGJ). India is also taking steps to building sustainable cities through the Smart City Mission and accelerating electrical mobility through the FAME scheme. This will not only improve quality of life but also enable sustainable living.

Finally, India is not only accelerating its own energy transition but is also laying down a sustainable growth pathway for other emerging economies to emulate. It is behind pathbreaking initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and Mission Innovation which are helping multiple countries transform their energy systems while meeting their climate and developmental commitments. This report discusses the story of these visionary initiatives.