New Delhi (The Hawk): The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on Monday emphasised the importance of demand-side perspectives in the transition to clean energy of crucial sectors and the need for inclusive global clean energy transition mechanisms that go beyond the context of coal. India is set to assume the G20 presidency this year.
TERI listed agriculture, micro, small, and medium-sized companies (MSMEs), and transportation as the key sectors.
Energy transitions, which are essential to attaining sustainable development and climate goals, have recently been predominately focused on "just transitions" in the coal industry, with a strong emphasis on energy supply and mitigation components.
Since COP26, just transitions have gained steam in the conversation about climate change and will also be a top goal for the COP27 Presidency.
"Inclusive Energy Transitions: Messages for the G20 Forum," a policy brief Analysis of the three energy and carbon-intensive sectors of agriculture, MSMEs, and transport in G20 nations, produced by TERI as part of its Act4Earth SDG Charter initiative, highlights the need for the G20 forum to support consensus building and spur the push for normative shifts to bring more attention to the energy demand aspects of the three sectors.
It also draws attention to the lack of gender inclusion policies in the G20 nations' MSMEs, agricultural, and transportation sectors.
Ajay Shankar, Distinguished Fellow at TERI and former Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, commented on the urgent need to close the gaps, saying: "The G20 consume over 70% of global energy, and as India takes over the G20 Presidency at the end of the year, it would have the responsibility of shaping a consensus on not only a faster energy transition but also on it being just and inclusive, especially from a gender perspective."
According to him, the TERI report argues that the energy transition agenda for the transportation, MSMEs, and agricultural sectors must take a comprehensive approach.
The importance of including supply and demand views in energy systems was emphasised by Shailly Kedia, Senior Fellow and Associate Director at TERI. The G20 can push for global indicator frameworks on SDGs to record and monitor energy demand-side indicators as well as gender disaggregated data. Markets on just transitions of energy systems should take energy demand into account rather than only supply.
At the COP27, the conversation about just transitions must include both adaptation and inclusive energy demand interventions. She stated that transitions must be "fair" and "inclusive."
The emphasis on energy production and mitigation, she continued, "is not consistent with the values of fairness and climate justice."
The EU and G20 nations consumed more than one-third of the world's energy (71.6 percent in 2019). The policy brief emphasises the need to concentrate on demand-side policy interventions during India's G20 Presidency through the special working group on energy transitions under the Sherpa track, despite the focus being biassed toward the supply-side.
It states that when it comes to inclusive energy transitions and bolstering the priority regions, India can take on a normative leadership position in energy demand side management domains.
(Inputs from Agencies)