Editorial: Coal dependence counter-productive
India is caught in a paradoxical situation on the energy front. On one hand, it needs to continue to exploit fossil fuels like coal to meet its growing demands but on the other, meet the international goals on climate change by phasing out fossil fuels and adopting clean energy technologies. Intense heatwaves across India, with […]
India is caught in a paradoxical situation on the energy front. On one hand, it needs to continue to exploit fossil fuels like coal to meet its growing demands but on the other, meet the international goals on climate change by phasing out fossil fuels and adopting clean energy technologies. Intense heatwaves across India, with many areas recording the hottest March temperatures in 120 years, are the clearest indicators that climate change impacts the entire world. A nationwide surge in electricity demand has triggered a power crisis, putting coal supplies under considerable strain. Agriculture, the most resilient sector during the pandemic, is struggling to withstand the tough conditions. With the power crisis worsening, the Centre is contemplating desperate measures which could turn out to be counter-productive in the long run. Discussions are being held with power firms on reviving non-operational coal-based plants and the ones that are under liquidation. This can be seen as a step backward against the backdrop of India’s active participation in the global efforts to switch to cleaner energy. The surge in power demand, triggered by the heatwave, has led to frantic attempts to arrange adequate coal supplies. However, overdependence on this highly polluting fossil fuel is impeding India’s efforts to shift to renewable sources. In a recent report, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned about India’s vulnerabilities to extreme heat.
The report also made it clear that there was no carbon budget left to accommodate new coal plants, even as coal use needs to fall 75% by 2030, from the 2019 levels, to limit the global temperature rise below 1.5°C, as envisaged by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Worldwide, the focus is largely on phase-down or phase-out of coal plants. There is a general consensus among experts that extreme temperatures are directly linked to climate change. For too long, India has been slow off the blocks on this critical front. During the Climate Summit at Glasgow last November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced enhanced climate targets for India — increasing the non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts and meeting 50% of the country’s energy needs through renewable sources by 2030. However, there are fears that this deadline will be missed as several States, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, are not doing enough to substantially increase their non-fossil energy capacity. It is baffling that solar energy’s vast potential remains underexploited in a country which witnesses sunny days for the most part of the year. One of the world’s major consumers of coal, India needs to expedite its phase-out plans as overdependence on it can spell disaster. The most effective way of making that switch is to generate energy from sustainable sources like wind and solar.
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