India has overtaken Japan to become the world's third-largest solar power generator, marking a significant leap in the country's clean energy ambitions.
A report by global energy think tank Ember revealed this impressive surge, highlighting India's rise from a modest ninth position in solar deployment just eight years ago (2015).
This accomplishment isn't just about bragging rights. As Aditya Lolla, director of Ember's Asia Programme, points out, increasing clean electricity production isn't solely for curbing carbon emissions.
It's also crucial for powering an increasingly electrified economy and decoupling economic growth from harmful emissions – a vital step in tackling climate change.
Solar continues its reign as the world's fastest-growing electricity source, a trend that has held strong for 19 consecutive years.
In 2023 alone, solar added more than double the amount of new electricity globally compared to coal. India itself witnessed the fourth-largest increase in solar generation last year, with a staggering 18 terawatt hours (TWh).
This puts them behind only China (156 TWh), the United States (33 TWh), and Brazil (22 TWh).
The collective efforts of these top four solar growth nations were responsible for a whopping 75% of the global increase in solar generation in 2023.
Ember's report further emphasises the remarkable growth of solar power, stating that global solar generation in 2023 was over six times higher than in 2015.
India's domestic solar story is equally impressive. The country's contribution to electricity generation through solar power has skyrocketed from a mere 0.5% in 2015 to a commendable 5.8% in 2023.
This exponential growth reflects India's commitment to clean energy and its ambitious national plan to combat climate change.
The International Energy Agency's (IEA) "Net Zero Emissions" scenario paints an optimistic picture for solar's future, projecting a rise to 22% of global electricity generation by 2030.
For India, with electricity generation responsible for nearly half of its annual carbon footprint (1.18 gigatonnes in 2023), a swift transition to cleaner sources is paramount to achieving both developmental and climate goals.
As part of its national climate change action plan, India has pledged to achieve a significant milestone by 2030: 50% of its cumulative electric power installed capacity must come from non-fossil fuel sources.
This commitment reflects a global shift towards clean energy, further solidified by the historic agreement reached at the United Nations COP28 climate change conference last December.
World leaders agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The IEA emphasises that tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency are cornerstones to limiting the average global temperature rise to a critical 1.5 degrees Celsius.
This target, set in 2015, aims to prevent a further worsening of climate change impacts.
India stands out as one of the few nations actively planning to triple its renewable energy capacity by 2030.
However, Ember's analysis suggests that annual capacity additions need a significant boost for India to reach this ambitious target.
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