Workshop on Clean Energy for Madurai

Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. Several efforts have been initiated at the global level to combat climate change and its impacts. Many countries have agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and transition to net zero emissions. India has also promised to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, as part of its climate change commitments. In India, the consumption of fossil fuels for energy is one of the major contributors to GHG emissions and accounts for 69% of the country’s total emissions. To address climate change impacts and to enhance energy transition at the sub-national level, WRI India along with Auroville consulting (AVC) and Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) has initiated a program called Sustainable Energy Transformation for Tamil Nadu (SET-TN). One of the key components of the SET-TN program is to identify priority actions for accelerating the energy transition in cities, as they contribute to most of the emissions.

Madurai is the 3rd largest city in Tamil Nadu and has the capability to demonstrate the role of energy transition among other major cities. To complement the efforts, a consultative workshop is being organized on reducing the consumption of fossil fuel electricity through energy efficiency interventions and promoting clean energy solutions in different energy-consuming sectors. This convening is aimed at sharing opinions, hands-on experiences, and insights by city stakeholders to address key barriers and challenges in leading sustainable energy transition in Madurai city. The key stakeholders participating in this consultation include local government, electric utilities, government departments, industry associations, academic institutions, and civil society organizations among others.