India’s climate policies expected to reduce CO2 emissions by around 4 billion tonnes by 2030

Tags: Environment

Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

Why in news?

• Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) reported that India’s climate policies expected to reduce CO2 emissions by around 4 billion tonnes by 2030.

About Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW):

• CEEW is a leading Policy research institute and think tank based in Delhi, India. .

Key points:

• According to the  report, in the power sector alone, policies promoting renewable energy are expected to drive a24-per cent decline in coal-based electricity generation by 2030, relative to a no-policy scenario.
• India’s current climate policies are projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around four billion tonnes between 2020 and 2030, and drive a 24-per cent reduction in coal-based power generation, according to a new report.
• This is significant considering the fast-developing South Asian country, now the fifth-largest economy in the world, had committed to reducing emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030 at COP26 in Glasgow.
• The study by Delhi-based independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said policies for India’s power, residential and transport sectors have already saved 440 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2)
• According to the report, in the power sector alone, policies promoting renewable energy are  between 2015 and 2030,expected to drive a 24-per cent decline in coal-based electricity generation by 2030, relative to a no-policy scenario.
• This is equivalent to avoiding 80 GW of coal-based power plants that would have otherwise been installed to meet India’s burgeoning power demand.

Current main source of electricity :

• At present, India generatesaround 71 per cent of its electricity using coal.
• Further, with strategic support and competitive tenders, the share of combined solar and wind power in India’s energy mix is projected torise to 26 per cent by 2030 and 43 percent by 2050, up from only around 3 per cent in 2015.