Energy security is increasingly recognized as a vital component of national resilience and economic progress. The blog ‘Energy Security for Bharat’ raises some fundamental and pressing questions about sustainability, equity, and the path forward in a carbon-constrained world which are discussed in the paragraphs that follow.

Is there energy poverty in the world?

All nations strive for affordable energy based on endogenous resources, and India is no exception. In India annual per capita energy consumption is about 20-30 GJ, which is significantly lower than the world’s average of about 77 GJ. It is about 20% of the Global North's consumption (Powell, 2024).  Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has come up with the concept of Decent Living Standards (DLS), which prescribes that countries should have a minimum of about 20-50 GJ per person per year (IPCC, 2022). As the third-largest energy consumer globally but 47th in per capita consumption, India has a significant energy demand, with consumption expected to rise as it moves towards acceptable global standards of living for its 1.4 billion population (Spencer, Thomas et al. 2018).  In contrast, the USA alone consumes ~311 Gigajoules (GJ), and the EU consumes ~131 GJ per capita annually (Our World in Data 2023) both of which are much higher than the world’s average and the DLS range.

What are the energy concerns in a carbon-constrained world?

The Earth's carbon budget is on decline, it has been usurped by the countries of the Global North. They developed and amassed wealth and prosperity, initially by exploiting coal, followed by oil, and recently through a gas-based economy. There are no western models for energy transition which can be emulated by the Global South. While continuing their industrial growth based on fossil fuels, the developed countries show enthusiasm for energy transitions not in their territories but in the Global South. They advocate for expensive energy transitions for all but themselves. Also, with excessive consumption patterns and rising emissions, they sustain their extravagant lifestyles and consumerism. The Paris Agreement goals are likely to be breached, largely owing to their non action in addressing climate change.

If India has to develop, what are the sources of primary energy?

India needs a diversified energy mix for achieving all the 17 SDGs and beyond. India should take its own informed decision regarding the choice of energy mix. Coal is abundant in the country and will remain as the primary source of energy in India’s journey to ‘Net Zero’ in 2070. India also has great opportunities to develop its hydropower. In terms of new renewable energy sources, India has done excellent work in solar and wind energy expansion, with its performance rated as good as that of Germany, which is a leader in the world.

India should learn from France and Germany and consider increasing the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix. In colder regions e.g. Ladakh there is a good scope for tapping the available geothermal energy. With a coastline longer than 75000 Km, there is also a lot of scope for tapping oceanic energy.

What role can Technology and finance play in sustainable development?

There is very little or no evidence of the Global North providing and facilitating technology transfers to the Global South on either grant or concessional basis. The Global South must forge smart alliances like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), for promoting innovations in climate friendly technologies. One good example is ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ wherein countries have agreed to come together to harness the sun’s energy on a perennial basis. Global South aspires to develop in a greener and clearer way, and does not want to repeat the mistakes made by the Global North when they industrialized.

Being a trustworthy developing country and home to about 1/5th of the world’s population with climate-friendly lifestyles, India merits to be supported in terms of technology transfer and climate-specific finances under the extant provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

India strides in renewable adoption

India's Primary energy mix shows a deliberate and strategic shift toward diversifying its energy portfolio. The country has notably elevated its ambitions, boosting its renewable energy target from 175 GW to a remarkable 500 GW by 2030. India achieved its previous 2030 targets well ahead of its time, the 40% non-fossil fuel capacity goal nine years early, and reducing emission intensity by 33-35% a full 11 years in advance (Press Information Bureau, 2023). As of January 2025, the country’s non-fossil fuel-based installed power capacity has reached 220.35 GW, accounting for 47.26% of the total installed capacity (CEA, 2025), having a sizeable share, particularly of solar and wind energy (Figure 1). The government’s ambitious target of achieving 50% of energy capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030 is well within reach, backed by extensive investments in the new renewable.

                      Figure 1: India’s Installed Generation Capacity in GW (fuel-wise) 31/01/2025

                                         Source: Calculated based on CEA, Installed Capacity Report 2025

These achievements couldn’t have been possible without the intensive government policy push. Some of the important schemes have been highlighted below:

* Press Information Bureau, Energy Security in India, 2024
** Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, National Portal of India
*** Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA), Portal 
 

As would be noted from above, India is emerging as a responsible nation in its path to clean energy while ensuring energy security, affordability, and sustainability. Nations must foster collaboration through climate financing, capacity building, and knowledge transfer.  As the world transitions to renewables, a multilateral approach rooted in the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam i.e. "the world is one family" is crucial.

*Tanushree Sharma is a Research Assistant at RIS. Views expressed are personal. Usual disclaimer applies. Author can be reached out at tanushree.sharma@ris.org.in

Sources:

Spencer, Thomas et al. (2018), “Coal Transition in India”, TERI Discussion Paper (New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute).

Our World in Data. (2023). Energy mix. https://ourworldindata.org/energy- mix#:~:text=Coal:%20what%20share%20of%20energy%20comes%20from,amount%20of%20loc al%20air%20pollution%20it%20creates.

Press Information Bureau [PIB]. (2023). India achieves two targets of Nationally Determined Contribution well ahead of the time. Retrieved from https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1987752.

Central Electricity Authority (CEA). (2025). All India installed capacity (in MW) of power stations. CEA. https://cea.nic.in/installed-capacity-report/?lang=en.

Press Information Bureau [PIB].(2024). Energy Security in India. Retrieved from https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2098441

Energy use per person. (2023). Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/per-capita-energy-u.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022). Summary for policymakers. Climate change 2022: Mitigation of climate change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. https://doi. org/10.1017/9781009157926.001. 

Powell, L. (2024, July 5). India’s energy profile: View from the South. orfonline.org. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/india-s-energy-profile-view-from-the-south