RENEWABLE ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION: A

COLLABORATIVE STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

*Yatin Kathuria1

ABSTRACT:

India is world’s seventh largest economy at present and soon will be 5th largest economy by
2019-2020 as it is growing at the rate of 7% per year. Critical to the ability to sustain this growth
going forward is the availability and affordability of energy. Though India is determined to bump
into energy requirements, yet sensibility need to be shown towards environment as well. India’s
struggle between energy demand and supply is exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.

In 2017, the world emitted a total of 32.5 gigaton CO2, of which China was responsible for 9
gigaton, USA 5 gigaton, and India 2 gigaton CO2.2 Nearly 50 % of world CO2 emissions came
from power sector, where India is the third largest contributor after China and USA.3 Electricity
is required for sustaining India’s social and development growth of more than 8-10% of its gross
domestic product (GDP). 4 The task of meeting the existing energy demands becomes more
challenging because of the evolving global environmental cognizance on climate change and the
impact of Energy sector in both the ecological and socioeconomic realm.

There is no way to safeguard the climate without changing how we harvest and use energy.
Producing Energy through renewable energy sources is the furthermost effective method, that we
have to fight against climate change, and there is every reason to believe that it will succeed. It
has the potential to re-energize the India by creating millions of new jobs, achieve energy
independence, and combating climate change. To cope up the issue India has to create a future
powered by renewable energy.5

1
Research Scholar, Department of Laws, Panjab University, Chandigarh
2
International Energy Agency, Global Energy and CO2 Status Report, March 2018.
3
Central Electricity Authority New Delhi, Carbon Emissions from Power Sector in 20201-2022 and 2026-2027,
New Delhi 30.06.2018.
4
Dadwal SR (2010) India’s renewable energy challenge, Strategic Analysis 34: 1-4.
5
Bhattacharya SC, Jana C (2009) Renewable energy in India: Historical developments and prospects. Energy 34:
981-991.
As India has realized the potential of renewable energy thereby has already framed numerous
climate mitigation policies and policies promoting renewable energy resources. Further there is
strong connection between these two policies arena thus one policy cannot be implemented by
ignoring another but India has been careless in addressing the two policies hand to hand.

This paper addresses and exposes the challenges India has been facing in abolishing its energy
crisis while being environmentally responsible. An overview of India’s energy and climate
policies are discussed in the paper along with its objectives in meeting both energy demands
while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the adoption of renewable energy sources.
Further, the research unveils that India’s continued policy regime is not as effective in meeting a
sustainable growth. Thus, the need of the hour is that India needs to be assertive in promoting
renewable energy technologies for a sustainable future by mandating prevailing trends in climate
mitigation policies.