India Must Scale Affordable Technologies, Drive Behavioral Changes to Achieve Low-Carbon Transition: MoEFCC Scientist

At the India Just Transition Summit in Delhi, experts call for people-centric, equitable solutions to drive India's low-carbon transition.

New Delhi, October 17, 2024: For India to meet its ambitious emissions intensity reduction targets, there is a need to scale affordable technologies and drive significant behavioral changes across all sectors, particularly in transport and industry, said Sharath Kumar Pallerla, Scientist G, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, in his keynote address at the India Just Transition Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Pallerla said, “Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is the need of the hour. India's journey toward sustainability includes addressing challenges in transitioning to renewable energy, enhancing carbon sinks and ensuring a just, inclusive and equitable transition. Scaling technology, making it affordable, and encouraging behavioral changes will be essential to meet our targets.”

Hosted by WRI India along with the Just Transition Research Centre at IIT Kanpur, the two-day summit brought together thought-leaders, policymakers, experts, researchers, civil society and community representatives to explore diverse perspectives and inclusive strategies towards a people-centred, inclusive and equitable low-carbon transition in India. Over 30 research papers and 10 poster presentations were made during the event that looked at various challenges, opportunities and the multiple facets of low-carbon transition.

Dr. Crispian Olver, Executive Director, Presidential Climate Commission, South Africa said, “We are in the middle of a crucial shift. Our pathway to a net-zero, climate-resilient economy must be socially just and equitable — addressing north-south disparities and class inequities within countries. We must ensure sustainable economic growth, create local value chains and prioritize human development and livelihoods.” To achieve this, he emphasized rethinking governance and integrating climate and development planning.

Dr. Brian Motherway, Head office of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions, International Energy Agency said, “To achieve a clean energy future, we must create systems that ensure greater energy access and affordability while reducing pollution. This journey requires strategic investments and spending, with policymakers focusing on decent jobs, providing adequate protection to workers and enabling equitable development for all, especially for marginalized communities. People must actively participate in decision-making: young, marginalized and indigenous voices. By addressing key questions on job creation, universal clean energy access, and cost-effective policies, we can bridge top-down principles with local solutions, ensuring a just transition for all.”

Understanding that a key aspect of operationalizing inclusive and people-centered transition is the availability of finance, the ‘Financing Just Transition in India’ session at the Summit facilitated dialogue and collaboration between prospective just transition projects and financial institutions. In the session, experts and participants showcased innovative approaches and opportunities to develop new models for financing just transition in India. They also discussed the way forward to addressing the current challenges to investing in inclusive, equitable transition.

Prof. Pradip Swarnakar, Founder and Coordinator, Just Transition Research Centre, IIT Kanpur, said, “Technology and policy will form the basis for achieving India’s net-zero targets. However, it is crucial to consider both macro and micro connections, as the transition will inevitably lead to revenue losses and significant impacts on people.”

Ulka Kelkar, Executive Program Director, Climate, Economics & Finance, WRI India, said, “As India develops, we will need more energy. Most of it will be met by renewable energy sources as their prices continue to fall. To meet the net-zero 2070 target, we will need to reduce the emissions from fossil sources and increase the energy from renewable sources. WRI India is committed to supporting net-zero goals for a people-centric, equitable, low carbon and just transition that enables more people to access new opportunities.”

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