India Should Focus on Proven Tech for Climate Goals: GTRI

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) India should avoid fancy technologies and costly subsidies and focus on functional and proven technologies to achieve climate goals, Think tank GTRI said on Wednesday.

The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) also said that India, with its commitment to significant climate goals, should remain focussed on its ambitious green transition, increasing its renewable energy capacity, irrespective of annual COP recommendations which may change year to year.

Nearly 200 countries clinched a landmark climate deal that called for a transition away from fossil fuels, the primary reason for the climate crisis, in a "just and equitable" manner at the final session of the annual climate talks COP28 in Dubai on Wednesday.

Adopted after nearly two weeks of hectic negotiations, the first Global Stocktake deal, being termed the UAE consensus, urges countries to accelerate efforts toward the phase-down of unabated coal power, which is a climb down after India and China strongly resisted the singling out of coal.

"To achieve climate goals, India should avoid fancy technologies and costly subsidies and focus on functional and proven technologies," the think tank said.

It said that India has committed to generating 50 per cent of its electricity from non-fossil fuels by 2030, reducing its emissions intensity by 45 per cent from 2005, and aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070.

"For achieving these goals, India is quietly working on energy transition. The share of renewables based electricity capacity has increased to 44 per cent against the set target of 50 per cent by 2030," GTRI Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said.

The GTRI has suggested four actions for India to deepen its climate efforts.

The actions include maintaining its green transition without taking on new commitments at COP.

"India needs cheap energy even to become a middle-income country. India already has low per capita emissions compared to countries like the US and China," it said adding India should broaden the scope of climate action to address issues like habitat loss,
biodiversity decline, and water scarcity while acknowledging diverse viewpoints.

Net zero is too narrow a goal for a sustainable earth, he said.

Further it suggested investments in high-quality climate research, moving beyond dominant western narratives.

"India should spend wisely, avoid costly subsidies and focus on functional and not on fancy technologies," it added.