Implications of a net-zero target for India’s sectoral energy transitions and climate policy

Abstract

Abstract The IPCC 1.5°C report highlights the criticality of achieving a net-zero (NZ) greenhouse gas future. Many countries have announced their commitments to achieve a NZ future for their economies. India, while doing much more than its ‘fair share’ of mitigation, has yet to announce a NZ year target, presumably owing to the absence of an India-focused analysis on this issue. This study attempts to address this gap by modelling alternative peaking and NZ-year scenarios for India, and highlighting its implications for transition in energy-intensive sectors. We model four combinations of peaking and NZ-year scenarios for India (2030–50, 2030–60, 2040–70, and 2050–80) and a combination of technology availability scenarios related to carbon capture and storage and hydrogen within each of the policy scenarios. We present the implications of these 16 alternative scenarios for the required sectoral transitions across the electricity, transport, building and industrial sectors in India and provide insights for India’s climate policy.