“My impression is that India will achieve targets such net zero emissions by 2070 and 500 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030 well in advance,” La Camera said.
As head of the 168-member strong Abu Dhabi-based intergovernmental agency for global transition to renewable energy, the former Italian climate negotiator is engaged in identifying ways to help countries to collectively act to slow down global warming.
He has argued that restricting temperature rise to 1.5°C to prevent worsening the impacts of climate change will require ensuring that countries have the infrastructure required to make the energy transition possible.
Broadly, the IRENA chief highlighted three pillars – physical infrastructure, legal and policy infrastructure, and the institutional and professional skill infrastructure.
La Camera said his assessment of India’s progress is based on the work that is being done in the country to put this infrastructure in place.
“India has already been working on the de-stressing and renewing of the grid system. On our recent visit, we had the chance to be in the control room. The people working there are very aware of where and how they have to intervene; and there are intervening,” he said.Referring to the professional and technological infrastructure, La Camera, who attended India Energy Week in Bengaluru, referred to solar stovetop and ethanol-blended petrol E20 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to his inaugural address. “These initiatives presented by the prime minister were something new. It also showcases some kind of technological achievements,” he said.
The IRENA chief spoke of greening the system. “They (Indian authorities) introduced rules that are facilitating a massive request of investment in hydrogen to clean and green, the steel industry and other industries.”
Indian authorities have maintained that goals have been set with a clear eye on what was feasible. The technological and regulatory developments as well as the policy signals for directing investment in green and clean energy indicate that India does have room to improve on the timeline for its targets.
