PM Narendra Modi’s COP26 goals could mean a massive energy overhaul in India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised many at the Glasgow climate summit by setting a 2070 net-zero goal for the country, but it’s the ambitious targets that come before that date that may determine the nation’s green success.

In his speech, Modi offered five climate targets India would pursue, four of them set for the end of the decade. Here’s a look at how they measure up to the country’s 2015 goals:

Half clean

The most ambitious of the five targets is the country’s aim to draw half of its energy requirement from renewable sources by 2030. Reaching that figure would mean a large enough expansion to replace coal for electricity, as well as petroleum fuels used in transport or cooking with renewable power. Coal, oil and natural gas account for 75% of energy use now.

“Sourcing 50% of primary energy needs from renewables will be a tall order,” said Debasish Mishra, a Mumbai-based partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. “It may be possible to reach that share in power generation with contributions from other non-fossil sources like hydropower and nuclear.”

Renewables ramp-up?

India’s target of reaching 500 gigawatts of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030 is little different from its existing goal of 450 gigawatts from renewable sources by the same year.