22-Dec-2022: India stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level

The Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, today said as per the updated NDC submitted to UNFCCC in August 2022, India stands committed to reduce Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level; achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of technology and low-cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund; and put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, through a mass movement for ‘LIFE’– ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change. The NDC update is also a step towards achieving India’s long term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070; for which India has prepared and submitted a separate framework document titled ‘India’s Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy’ to the secretariat of the UNFCCC in November 2022.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Shri Choubey said that Government of India stands committed to combat climate change through its several programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises of missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, health, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change. The National Solar Mission under the NAPCC is one of the key initiatives to promote sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security. Some of the measures undertaken to promote renewable power in the country are as follows:

1. Permitting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100 percent under the automatic route;
2. Waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 2025;
3. Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2029-30;
4. Setting up of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to Renewable Energy (RE) developers for installation of RE projects at large scale;
5. Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12000 MW Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme Phase II, etc.;
6. Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power;
7. Notification of standards for deployment of solar photovoltaic system/devices;
8. Setting up of Project Development Cell for attracting and facilitating investments;
9. Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar photovoltaic system and Wind Projects;
10. Notification of Promoting Renewable Energy through Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022;
11. Notification of “The electricity (Late Payment Surcharge and related matters) Rules 2002 (LPS rules)”; and
12. Issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit (LC) or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators.

The written reply stated that India has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. India’s emission intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) has reduced by 24 percent between 2005 and 2016. As on 30th November 2022, India’s total electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources is 173.14 GW, which is 42.3 percent of the total electric power installed capacity from non-fossil based energy resources.

The reply further stated that the Government of India has encouraged States and UTs to prepare their State Action Plan on Climate change in line with NAPCC. The priority sectors identified under the Andhra Pradesh’s state action plan on climate change are agriculture and livestock, health, energy, marine and fisheries, irrigation and water supply, manufacturing, transport and forestry.

8-Dec-2022: Legal framework for Energy Transition

The framework for Energy Transition is governed by India's Commitment under Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In this context, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) has submitted to UNFCCC secretariat a framework document “India's Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy” which has the elements of Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategies including rational utilisation of fossil fuel resources, with due regard to energy security, expanding renewables & strengthening the grid etc.

Further, with an objective to support energy transition, The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 has been introduced in the Parliament, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on 08.08.2022; this Bill will be presented for consideration in this Session of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

The following provisions in the proposed Bill have been included to support to energy transition activities:-

1. Specify minimum share of consumption of non-fossil sources by designated consumers as energy or feedstock;
2. Specify the carbon credit trading scheme;
3. Coverage of large residential buildings within the fold of Energy Conservation regime; and
4. Enhance the scope of Energy Conservation Building Code to include sustainability aspects.

2-Dec-2021: India achieves target of 40 % installed electricity capacity from non- fossil fuel sources

At COP 21, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), India had committed to achieving 40% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. The country has achieved this target in November 2021 itself. The country’s installed Renewable Energy (RE) capacity today stands at 150.05 GW while its nuclear energy based installed electricity capacity stands at 6.78 GW. This brings the total non-fossil based installed energy capacity to 156.83 GW which is 40.1% of the total installed electricity capacity of 390.8 GW In line with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s announcement at the recently concluded CoP26, the Government is committed to achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by the year 2030.

19-Dec-2022: Decarbonising Steel Production

The emissions from iron and steel sector reported by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in India’s latest Biennial Update Reports (BURs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the year 2016 was135.420 million tonnes CO2. Emissions from iron and steel sector in 2030 will depend on the actual production of steel at that time.

Ministry of Steel is committed to Net-Zero target by 2070. Towards this, in short term (FY 2030), reduction of carbon emissions in steel industry through promotion of energy and resource efficiency, renewable energy etc. is the focus. For the medium term (2030-2047), Green Hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage are the focus areas. For long term (2047-2070), disruptive alternative technological innovations can help achieve the transition to net-zero. For this purpose, Ministry of Steel is continuously engaging with various stakeholders. Two meetings of Parliamentary Consultative Committee, held in FY 2022, were dedicated to decarbonization and improvement of resource efficiency in Steel Sector.

Other steps taken for promoting decarbonization in steel industry include:

Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019 enhances the availability of domestically generated scrap to reduce the consumption of coal in steel making.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced National Green Hydrogen Mission for green hydrogen production and usage. The steel sector has also been made a stakeholder in the Mission.

Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicles Scrapping Facility) Rules September 2021, shall increase availability of scrap in the steel sector.

National Solar Mission launched by MNRE in January 2010 promotes the use of solar energy and also helps reduce the emission of steel industry.

Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, under National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, incentivizes steel industry to reduce energy consumption.

The steel sector has adopted the Best Available Technologies (BAT) available globally, in the modernisation& expansions projects.

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Model Projects for Energy Efficiency Improvement have been implemented in steel plants.

The financial impact on steel sector due to climate transition will be contingent on the actual measures taken to achieve the Net-Zero target by 2070.