'Renewables' share in energy consumption has a long way to go:' Pankaj Jain, Secretary, MoPNG

With sustainability becoming a pressing global subject in the wake of rising carbon emissions, and global warming, the shift to greener mobility solutions, and energy sources is paramount for the automotive sector to reduce irs gitsnhouse gas emissions.

According to Pankaj Jain, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, “The global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) stands at around 50 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. Of this, 75 percent comes from usage of energy, and the transportation sector contributes to 16% of global emissions and 12% of India's emissions.”

“Globally, road transportation contributes 75 percent of the transportation emissions, in India, it stands at only 8 percent as the country only has 22 cars per thousand people, compared to 500-per-thousand, in high-income economies,” Jain pointed out, while speaking at the industry event held by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on the occasion of the World Environment Day in New Delhi.

Jain added that while the share of renewables has taken a quantum jump in the last few years, it still has a long way to go. “We are seeing biofuels gain momentum and the country has today arrived at 

E20 fuel, which is currently being retailed at over 15,000 outlets across the country. We are also going to see bio-CNG bear fruit in the next few years, thereby increasing the use of biofuels for road transportation.”

“Coming to EVs, while there is anxiety with respect to range in the minds of the consumer, more than 17,000 chargers have been installed by the oil and gas industry across the country. So, we are doing our best to enhance our renewable energy consumption,” Jain said.

According to Jain, India is a huge market, and one single technology is not going to be the final solution to the country's unique sustainability and mobility challenges. “Therefore, with its over 30-40 percent efficiency enhancement, hybrid technology too is playing a key role in the decarbonisation of the economy. Moreover, green hydrogen, CAFE-II, and BS7 norms will further enhance the industry's efforts towards decarbonisation,” Jain said.

Jain highlighted that as the industry evolves, the sector must balance its growth with decarbonisation initiatives. “Affordability, and availability must be the top considerations for the industry while devising and offering any new solution for the end consumer. The policy roadmap must also support the industry's sustainability initiative,” he signed off.