nuclear-news

The growth of India’s clean energy sector does more than keep the lights on: It is a crucial ray of hope in the fight against climate change. The European Union’s emissions have already peaked and are expected to fall significantly by 2050. The United States’ emissions are also dropping off, dipping by 5% in the five years leading up to 2010. This fall is in part because of the recession but also because America is retiring aging coal plants and replacing them with cleaner alternatives.

However, all these emissions cuts from the developed world will be more than offset by the explosive growth in carbon emissions expected from developing countries, including India and China, over the coming decades. What developing countries choose, in particular whether they power their growth with coal or clean energy, will dictate whether or not humanity can avert a climate catastrophe.

Last weekend, I visited the Solar Energy Centre in Gurgaon, just outside of New Delhi. I was struck not only by the professionalism of the staff there, but also by their confidence in India’s renewable energy potential, and their conviction that India will surpass its extremely ambitious 2020 solar power target. ….

Although India and China, for the moment, remain reliant on heavily polluting coal, there are reasons to be optimistic that they can continue to grow their economies while reigning in their carbon emissions. China is already a renewable energy superpower. It is the world’s biggest producer of wind turbines and solar modules and is investing heavily in electric vehicles. India is not far behind in clean energy ambition.

A fewyears ago, there was a popular mantra in climate change circles about the need to transfer renewable energy technologies from the West to developing countries, to help poorer nations develop their renewable energy sectors. But over thecoming decade, the process is likely to run the other way, as the developing countries like India, with it’s impressive Gurgaon facility, export their clean energy products and know-how to the rest of the world.

In the Maldives, we should forge a far closer relationship with India, particularly in the field of renewable energy, to help deliver our 80% solar target. Other neighbouring countries should also tap Indian expertise in developing their own clean energy plans.

Nobody wants to live in a world that has been wrecked by climate change, but no one wants to switch out the lights to save the planet either. By embracing clean technologies, developing countries like India can show us that a green world can also be a bright one.