The India Energy Hour Presented by 101Reporters

Talking about climate change, especially in the developing world, is no longer a topic of so-called "academic interest". There are now multitudes of issues involved, countless lobbies on both sides of the debate and largely uninformed public.

Climate communication in such a scenario becomes pertinent and as important as the climate issues themselves...

As COP27 inches closer, the promises and commitments made during the last global climate conference are under scrutiny. India which was the biggest surprise, thanks to its Net Zero target year announcement has been under the scanner for laying out its climate plans.

The Union Cabinet recently approved India's Nationally Determined Contributions which though exhaustive, is still falling short on several fronts - major being climate adaptation...

If India wants to achieve its net zero goal by 2070, energy storage technologies will have to play a crucial role. From battery to pump storage, several different technologies are now commercially available in 5 countries and several others are at the R&D stage. They would all need to be deployed at a scale several magnitudes higher than today as India embarks on the path of the energy transition...

For any meaningful climate action in India, the 28 Indian states and 8 union territories will have to play a crucial role. They have to maintain nodes of implementation of climate plans...

The upcoming COP27 is expected to set the tone for developing economies to strengthen their climate-focused demands from the developed world. Adaptation solutions, loss and damage funds, and enhanced climate financing are likely to be the focus areas. Though the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war and impending recession might impact negotiations, it is no doubt that climate-related challenges faced by the African nations will be under the spotlight...

India's energy transition stands at the crossroads of meeting the nation's rising energy demand and pressure at the global front to reduce emissions. Having now committed to a low carbon development plan and a net zero target year, all eyes are on India to declare the expiry date of coal.

To get a ringside understanding of this complex issue, we invited Dr. Anil Kumar Jain...

India has set a net zero target by 2070. If this target is to be achieved, India will have to reduce its reliance on coal. However, decreasing coal production and use is complex as it will impact millions of workers, communities and coal-dependent states. In order to mitigate the impact on workers and communities in coal-dependent states, the states will have to enable a just energy transition and the planning will need to start from now...

A major part of India's energy transition would come from the power sector but for the broader goal of decarbonization, energy-intensive industries need to plan a green future. The steel industry which forms the backbone of the country's infrastructure growth is the foremost industry to plan a transition.

The sector which relies on metal mining, drives bulk electricity demand and employment generation across its supply chain...