The Climate Challenge Green growth will come, just not the way we might think. Despite the enthusiasm around the recent Paris agreements, climate policy is at an impasse. It seems as though binding targets for all countries to limit warming to 1.5 or even 2 degrees are not politically negotiable – at … [continued]
Green market design is the need of the hour. Renewables and energy efficiency solutions have reached meaningful parity with conventional energy sources in many parts of the world. The timing is extremely opportune. It presents a historic coincidence. Firstly, just now, many fast-developing countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and … [continued]
The division between developing and developed countries has been a core feature of the global climate talks since the first meeting (COP) in Berlin in 1995. Back then, low-carbon technologies were considered far too expensive for poor developing countries and would have constrained their growth options. And besides: it was the … [continued]
As we move closer towards the Paris climate talks, something interesting is happening. Ever more stakeholders seem to be ready to be part of the solution. Negotiations that were earlier bogged down in zero-sum confrontations suddenly have a new fluidity and a ring of can-do optimism about them. Why? … … [continued]
India currently consumes over 1,000 TWh of electricity a year, making it just about the world’s third-largest power consumer. More than 60% of this electricity is produced from coal-fired power plants. On a per capita basis, however, India’s power consumption is still very low, at less than 800 kWh per … [continued]
The Indian solar story is much bigger than the story of one country and one technology. It is one of those game-changing developments that will have an impact on many aspects of our lives, around the globe. It is the opportunity of a lifetime for India, for the global energy industry, and for the … [continued]
India, the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon and one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, is a key player in global climate negotiations. Now, in the run-up to the Paris climate negotiations in October and November of this year, its negotiating position might be evolving dramatically. In an internal document, addressed to Prime … [continued]
In a recent research note, Indian rating agency CRISIL suggested that power sector loans of as much as $62.5 billion might turn toxic (for comparison: this is around half the new bailout package for Greece). Half of the amount has been lent to India’s chronically loss-making distribution companies. The other half … [continued]
There is great cause for being optimistic about the transformative power of India’s solar market. In the first part of this series, I outlined the drivers that currently propel the market into an entirely new dimension: real growth on the ground, highly competitive tariffs, and enormous investor interest. However, the optimism remains tapered … [continued]
There is a solar transformation underway in India: record low tariffs, huge investment interest, and real growth. But stumbling blocks remain. A year ago, the Indian government announced a goal of 100 GW of solar by 2022. Many market participants (including myself) were skeptical. In the last couple of months, however, … [continued]
