A Multi-level Experience of Designing Low-Carbon Energy Systems in India

Abstract

Several low carbon options have the potential to offer multiple co-benefits including reduction in local air pollution, ability to enhance clean energy access, address energy security considerations and improve socio-economic conditions of households. The recent INDCs have reinforced India’s aspirations of rapidly adopting and up-scaling low carbon options in a bid to move along an increasingly efficient and environmentally sustainable development path. This chapter delves on the co-benefits that low-carbon alternatives can provide, while amplifying the concerns and challenges related with adequacy and appropriateness of technological solutions, affordability at consumer and economy-wide levels, and human, infrastructural as well as institutional capacities to manage such transitions. The chapter emphasizes that regional cooperation between countries in Asia can help alleviate resource and capacity constraints in individual countries and can thereby be viewed as a key enabler to achieving a low carbon path for countries like India. Regional co-operation possibilities could range from drawing and building up on successful initiatives implemented across sectors with regard to innovative financing models, inclusion of technological or process related modifications to suit similar socio-economic contexts or to the use of various collaborative mechanisms to support technology development, deployment and transfer across countries. Regional efforts for scaling up finance for infrastructure development linked to both mitigation as well as adaptation needs of the region and enhanced collaboration among countries is expected to play an important role in improving relations and working towards a common goal.