• Any energy transition initiative embraces two normative ideals:
• Internalizing costs ensuring that those responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions bear the social and environmental burdens.
• Climate justice requires compensation for those who are harmed.
• There is a need to rectify the inherent carbon injustice by shifting the financial responsibility for the energy transition towards the richer countries or the affluent classes within a nation.

Climate Justice

• Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) allow developing countries in the global south to prioritise economic growth and development over climate mitigation.
• The primary goal of India should be economic growth because of lower emissions in comparison to many industrialized nations.
• This approach evades concerns about climate justice in India, affecting inequalities across class, caste, and region.
• The communities that have caused the least contribution to climate change, are the ones that will suffer its most prominent consequences.

Inequality and Climate Change

• Climate change and the shift towards clean energy sources disproportionately impact impoverished communities worldwide.
• The climate-induced problems and droughts have compounded the agriculture crisis and allied economic activities.
• Variations in rainfall, temperature, and extreme climate events directly impact agricultural productivity, compounding farmers’ income loss.
• Rising ocean temperatures deplete fish stocks, adversely impacting fishing communities.
• Addressing environmental and socio-economic disparities simultaneously is crucial for sustainable and fair development.
• Less equitable societies tend to have higher emission outputs per unit of economic activity.
• More uneven environments make it more difficult for society to respond to climate change such as through public action and state capability.
• To achieve a sustainable and just future, it is imperative to recognize and mitigate the obstacles posed by these inequality matrices to effective climate action.

India''s Energy Transition: Contribution & Challenges

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC):

• India’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) aim to ensure that 50% of the total installed power generation capacity is clean energy.
• India targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
• Net zero is a situation where a country’s greenhouse gas emissions are offset entirely, either by absorption of carbon dioxide through natural processes or through removal of greenhouse gases using modern technologies.
• This ambitious target necessitates careful study of its implications.
• As of 2021, coal was the major contributor to the total energy supply in India (accounting for 56.1%), followed by crude oil (accounting for 33.4%).
• The industrial sector was the largest consumer of energy, using (51%) of the total final energy consumption, followed by transport (11%), residential (10%), and agriculture (3.6%) sectors.
• Manufacturing is more energy- and carbon-intensive than agriculture and services.
• Thus, any increase in energy price can lead to a contraction of manufacturing.
• India is already at a low manufacturing level.

Challenges in India’s Energy Transition

Regional Disparities in Energy Sources:

• India faces a stark divide in terms of energy sources and economic inequality, closely tied to regional disparities.
• Regions heavily reliant on coal production lose both revenue and livelihoods.
• Coal reserves, being the cheapest source of energy, are concentrated in the economically disadvantaged eastern and central regions.
• However, prosperous southern and western India are hubs for renewable energy generated from wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies.

Importance of Coal:

• Despite causing environmental harm, the public sector mining industry, responsible for 85% of coal production, remains a major revenue source for Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
• This revenue comes from taxes, royalties, mining fees, and employment opportunities.
• India''s strategy for transitioning to cleaner energy must address these regional inequalities.
• It should involve transferring funds to states heavily dependent on coal and designing specific programs to reskill and rehabilitate local communities.

Green federalism

• It is important to establish a federal approach as part of India''s Green Deal.
• India’s federal governance structure implies that sub-national governments play a significant role in addressing climate concerns.
• However, state governments have different priorities compared to the central government.
• State governments sometimes execute policies that are at odds with the development goals of the States, such as those concerning climate justice, adaptation, and disaster management given out by the Union government.
• It is important to understand the relationship between fiscal federalism and climate mitigation to foster policy alignment and cooperation across all levels of government.

In a warming India, achieving climate justice requires a multi-faceted approach, addressing regional disparities, economic inequalities, and the intricate interplay of federal governance. Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities at state levels is vital for a more sustainable and equitable future.