Share on Twitter
We all have a bleak picture in our minds of what would happen if climate change remained a challenge for India. But do we really know the outcome? Climate change is a massive threat to mankind; therefore, many countries, including India, are trying to combat its detrimental effects. Here is what you need to know why the subject is a “now or never” situation for India and what can be done to tackle the effects of climate change.
Broadly speaking, the geographical surface of the Indian subcontinent is divided into six physiographic regions, which are namely the Himalayas, Peninsular Deccan Plateau, the Indo-Gangetic Plains, Coastal Plains, the Thar Desert, and the Islands. Each physiographical region has a unique climatic profile and vulnerability profile. According to a study by World Bank, the temperature in India is warmer than that of other countries due to the Himalayas acting as barriers to winds coming from Central Asia and China. The temperature might only rise further in the future, which can lead to extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves, prolonged droughts, heavy rainfall, etc.
To combat the situation, the Government of India, startups, and many NGOs are working together to control the pace of climate change in India. Almost a decade ago, climate change was hardly a matter of concern. But today, given the drastic implications of climate change, the situation demands urgent action. The Indian government has been instrumental in controlling and managing climate change, and the solutions have benefited the people of India.
Some of the key initiatives taken by the Central Government are as follows:
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
It’s not unusual for temperatures to hit 48 degrees celsius in India’s hottest regions, such as Rajasthan. The place becomes nearly uninhabitable for humans. But the region is undoubtedly ideal for one of the biggest solar farms in India. Launched in 2015, the International Solar Alliance is a solar power development project in collaboration with France. ISA is an alliance of the “sunshine countries” to utilise solar energy efficiently. The alliance was formed with solar energy-rich countries to reduce the dependency on non-renewable sources of energy like fossil fuels.
One Sun, One World, One Grid Project
The idea of the One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG) project was first proposed by honourable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi during the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance in 2018. Through OSOWOG, the programme aims to provide energy to about 140 countries by a common grid that transfers solar power. The project acts as one of the solutions to many of our global problems in the energy sector. The United Kingdom jointly launched the OSOWOG initiative in partnership with ISA and the World Bank Group.
Swachh Bharat Mission
The Swachh Bharat Mission is another landmark initiative by the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi. The initiative covered 4,041 statutory towns to clean the streets, roads, and infrastructure of India and provide sanitation facilities for every household. Under the initiative, all villages, districts, and gram panchayats in India declared themselves “open defecation free” by 2nd October 2019, on the 150th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The initiative helped build over 100 million toilets in rural India.
COP26 Glasgow Summit
While addressing the world leaders at the annual conference of United Nations COP26 in Glasgow, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India listed five commitments of India to combat climate change. The announcements were:
- India will achieve a target of net zero emissions by the year 2070.
- By 2030, India will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable sources.
- India will decrease the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030.
- India will take its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by the end of 2030.
- The nation will reduce carbon intensity by more than 45% by 2030.
Climate Tech & Indian startups
Climate tech is a solution that involves providing new and feasible solutions to combat climate change. Climate tech includes finding ways to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and offering environment-friendly alternatives to existing technologies.
According to the Economic Survey 2021-22, India is the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, In terms of how holistic the overall growth has been, startups in India have spread over 56 industries, with the top 5 being IT services, Healthcare & Lifesciences, Professional & Commercial Services, Education, and Agriculture.[source] Climate tech is one of the latest additions to this list, as several startups have emerged that are focusing on India’s climate crisis.
The Current Scenario
With people becoming increasingly aware of climate change, the Indian government has also shifted its focus to the climate crisis. At the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26), India presented five nectar elements (Panchamrit) as its climate action:
- Reach 500 GW of Non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
- Generate fifty percent of India’s energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
- Reduce total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030.
- Reduce the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 percent by 2030, over 2005 levels.
- Achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2070.
The government has already started taking the necessary steps in the right direction to combat climate change. As a result, the climate-tech sector is experiencing a huge boom.
The Impact
Today, several investors (both angel investors and venture capitalists) prefer to do business with companies that value the planet and offer solutions to ease the ongoing climate crisis. Although it takes a lot of effort to generate sufficient traction and attract investors, climate tech startups have an obvious advantage with them. This is the reason why they appear as a better option to investors, as compared to others.
Typically, investors prefer to put their money into ideas that promise potential and can effectively address a few of the most common real-world problems. The climate-tech domain is just the right fit, with plenty of opportunities. And the focus of these startups is on the environment, which is a plus!
If you are running a climate-tech startup, you should visit the Startup India website today to get a host of benefits, from tax exemption to showcase opportunities. Startup India is a nationwide platform where you can connect with industry experts and other startup founders for knowledge sharing and finding opportunities that help your business scale.
