The India Energy Hour Presented by 101Reporters

India's energy transition stands at the crossroads of meeting the nation's rising energy demand and pressure at the global front to reduce emissions. Having now committed to a low carbon development plan and a net zero target year, all eyes are on India to declare the expiry date of coal. To get a ringside understanding of this complex issue, we invited Dr. Anil Kumar Jain. He has held senior positions at key ministries of petroleum, environment, NITI Aayog, and the erstwhile Planning Commission. He recently retired as the secretary, ministry of coal where he initiated a division and dialogue on just transition in the country's coal sector. Jain has also authored two books on India's natural gas sector and holds a Ph.D. on the same. He has served as a bureaucrat for 3 decades. Books by Anil Kumar Jain: Natural Gas in India: Challenges and Opportunities - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60789642-natural-gas-in-india\ Natural Gas in India: Liberalisation and Policy - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13689725-natural-gas-in-india Full transcript of the episode is available here Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube Our host, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter and Linkedin

The upcoming COP27 is expected to set the tone for developing economies to strengthen their climate-focused demands from the developed world. Adaptation solutions, loss and damage funds, and enhanced climate financing are likely to be the focus areas. Though the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine war and impending recession might impact negotiations, it is no doubt that climate-related challenges faced by the African nations will be under the spotlight. To discuss the issues and challenges faced by the developing countries and how Africa can negotiate a deal at COP27 that benefits the continent, we talked with James Irungu Mwangi, Executive Director, Dalberg Group in Kenya. James Mwangi is a sustainable development and inclusive growth expert with a career spanning more than two decades in public policy, energy and strategic planning. Full transcript of the episode is available here Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube James Mwangi is on Twitter and Linkedin Our host, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter and Linkedin

For any meaningful climate action in India, the 28 Indian states and 8 union territories will have to play a crucial role. They have to maintain nodes of implementation of climate plans. But are the states ready to embrace the national and international ambitions of climate action? Could pushing central targets lead to more tussle between centre and states? Would states have the governance structures and stakeholder capacity for transforming their energy economies? To understand the role of states in the Indian energy transition, we interviewed Dr. Kartikeya Singh, Director of the Global Energy Futures Initiative at the Climate Imperative Foundation. Dr. Singh has worked for decades fostering energy transition and climate action in Indian states along with helping these states build global partnerships. Full transcript of the episode is available here Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube Kartikeya Singh is on Twitter and Linkedin Our host, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter and Linkedin

If India wants to achieve its net zero goal by 2070, energy storage technologies will have to play a crucial role. From battery to pump storage, several different technologies are now commercially available in 5 countries and several others are at the R&D stage. They would all need to be deployed at a scale several magnitudes higher than today as India embarks on the path of the energy transition. And this would require policy push, financial backing and reconciling with socio-economic issues. To understand the landscape of energy storage technologies and their future in India, we interviewed Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, President and Managing Director of Customized Energy Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. Rahul is also the founder and Executive Director for India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). Rahul is considered India’s foremost expert on energy storage, energy management, smart grid deployment and much more. Full transcript of the episode is available here Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube Rahul Walawalkar is on Twitter and Linkedin Our host, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter and Linkedin

As COP27 inches closer, the promises and commitments made during the last global climate conference are under scrutiny. India which was the biggest surprise, thanks to its Net Zero target year announcement has been under the scanner for laying out its climate plans. The Union Cabinet recently approved India's Nationally Determined Contributions which though exhaustive, is still falling short on several fronts - major being climate adaptation. While mitigation measures are being given due importance, specific targets are yet to be drafted. In order for India, among other large economies, to step up its mitigation and adaptation efforts, it needs to raise ambition domestically, bringing policy coherence across the central and state governments, and ensuring access to finance from rich countries. To understand how India should prioritize its mitigation and adaptation efforts, we interviewed Harjeet Singh, Senior Adviser at Climate Action Network. Harjeet is a global expert on the issues of climate impacts, migration and adaptation and has spent two decades working in development sectors. Full transcript of the episode is available here Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube Harjeet Singh is on Twitter and Linkedin Our host, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter and Linkedin

Talking about climate change, especially in the developing world, is no longer a topic of so-called "academic interest". There are now multitudes of issues involved, countless lobbies on both sides of the debate and largely uninformed public. Climate communication in such a scenario becomes pertinent and as important as the climate issues themselves. But climate comms, especially in the West have been long alleged for whitewashing facts and greenwashing any and every step that the Global North took to tackle climate change. In the middle of this, Aarti Khosla launched what can be said to be India's first dedicated climate communication platform Climate Trends. Khosla has been in the communication sector for her whole career and has been associated with leading NGOs, climate groups etc. Khosla is also Director, CarbonCopy, a dedicated platform for climate-related news. Timestamp: 0:00 - Podcast intro 2:35 - About Aarti Khosla and her professional journey 5:00 - Some of the most successful climate comms campaigns led by Aarti. 7:39 - Driving force behind starting Climate Trends? 9:55 - Tips and tricks to simplify climate to layman and the role of climate comms in India 17:31 - Strategies for balancing the narrative of energy transition fossil fuel 26:23 - Some of the key issues/concepts that are difficult to communicate. 30:15 - Climate communication has been very specific to the global north. 39:57 - Modes of communication which have been most effective 45:10 - Engaging with policymakers 48:14 - Handling the criticism of whitewashing that Climate communication faces from the media. 51:49 - Podcast outro Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube Aarti Khosla is on Twitter and Linkedin Our host, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter and Linkedin

India recently enforced a ban on single-use plastic items across the country. This move will have a ripple effect across several industries, including FMCG. Experts, however, view this as a bold step towards waste management in the country. Of this, an impeding concern is over renewable energy waste. Solar wastes are generated by discarded solar panels. India is planning to meet its 500 GW target of renewable energy by 2030. Estimates reveal solar industry alone could generate over 34,600 tonnes of cumulative waste by 2030. Bharati Chaturvedi, Founder and Director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, talks about how India is managing its waste currently, with a focus on solar waste. She goes on to share what can be done to tackle this growing quantum of energy and industrial waste. A cross-cutting environmental and public policy expert, Bharati works closely with government agencies to improve waste governance in India.

India's renewable energy sector is facing an unusual dilemma - on one side are the ambitious targets set out by the government and on the other are problems and issues that come with rampant growth and increase in size of the industry. One such issue is the GIB or Great Indian Bustard case in Rajasthan and Gujarat where 20 GW of solar and wind power projects face an uncertain future. Planned in the breeding areas of GIB, an endangered bird, green energy and ecology are in direct conflict. Subrahmanyam Pulipaka is leading the fight from the end of the industry. He is CEO of National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), a non profit, non government representative body of the solar sector in the country. Having dabbled both research and project development career paths, Subrahmanyam is looking at ways and means for both energy and ecology to co-exist. Timestamp: 0:00 - Podcast intro 1:56 - About Subrahmanyam Pulipaka and what it is to be in policy advocacy. 14:19 - Land and ecology issues being faced by the renewable energy sector. 18:57 - Genesis of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) controversy and the repercussions. 28:19 - Importance of the GIB native land in Rajasthan and Gujarat. 34:44 - Cost implications due to the GIB matter. 36:58 - Need of Environmental Impact Assessment for green energy projects. 43:33 - Bearing the additional cost for saving the ecology - how receptive is the industry and locals? 48:34 - Where is the land then for 500 GW dream target? 57:30 - How do the investors look at these problems? 1:02:47 - Key policy changes required to change the face of this sector. 1:09:22 - Podcast outro

As it has been happening for years now, coal and power crisis has gripped India yet again. Severe heatwaves caused due to climate crisis coupled with mismatch in coal demand and supply, led to a nationwide power crisis. Electricity distribution utilities are resorting to power cuts, Centre is pushing imported coal and ministries of coal and railways are at loggerheads. To guide us through this maze of crisis, our host Dr. Sandeep Pai spoke with two journalists with their ears on the ground. Sarita C Singh, a seasoned energy journalist and an expert on fossil fuels and energy policies...along with our co-host Shreya Jai, senior energy and climate journalist. Timestamp: 0:00 - Podcast intro 2:42 - What is the genesis of the coal/power crisis? 8:15 - Why there is always a knee jerk reaction to this? 13:44 - Govt pushes states, gencos to import coal. How feasible it is? 17:24 - Did gas or renewables play a role in this crisis? 21:21 - Do you think there is a plan B for gas? 23:44 - How can renewable play a role in averting such crisis in the future? 26:47 - How can discoms find a way to make payments? 35:44 - How does coal crisis impact India's climate mitigation plan? Can coal be retired at all? 45:29 - Shouldn’t India be more aggressive on decentralised renewable system? 50:00 - How do we ensure that this crisis doesn’t happen again next year? 54:46 - Podcast outro Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group III recently released a report on climate change mitigation. It assessed methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and provided many policy solutions for how countries can contain the climate crisis. To understand what this new IPCC report says, we interviewed Professor Navroz Dubash of the Center for Policy Research and Professor Harald Winkler of the University of Cape Town. Both Navroz and Harald are contributing lead authors of the report and have decades of experience working on climate policy issues. Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube.