The global low carbon transition will require a significant rise in renewable energy. However, the clean energy sector’s value chain and operations could create adverse impacts on the environment, communities and human rights without careful planning. Some of these adverse impacts include irreversible changes to the land use where technologies are established; erosion of communities’ traditional relationships with the land, making their livelihoods more precarious; and intense demand for limited resources like water to maintain these technologies.

Clean energy actors have a remarkable opportunity and responsibility to reduce emissions from energy in an accountable, equitable way. India needs to continue progress toward achieving its 450 GW target by 2030 and addressing the negative impacts of climate change. At the same time, thoughtful action would allow the nation to achieve a just and fair low-carbon transition that would protect those who are vulnerable to climate change and harmful supply chains. India needs an ecologically safe, socially just clean energy supply chain across its renewable energy sector.

The Responsible Energy Initiative seeks to enable the clean energy sector to adopt models and value chain approaches that are ecologically safe and socially just. By collaborating with stakeholder across the clean energy value chain, the initiative hopes to contribute to creating a shared vision of responsible energy.

The initiative launched the Renewable Energy to Responsible Energy: A Call to Action Report in March 2021. The report outlines the landscape of clean energy transition in the Indian context, including the governance mechanisms and market potential, while gathering evidence on the socio-environmental impacts that may impact the sector.

Building from this report, the initiative is conducting an action inquiry with representatives of the clean energy value chain, including project developers, investors, equipment manufacturers and researchers working to make the sector responsible from all angles. The objectives of this action inquiry phase include:

  • Creating a shared understanding of the current challenges and opportunities for enhanced responsibility in the clean energy sector.
  • Collaboratively developing a vision for the sector around principles of responsibility that key actors can commit to.
  • Building hypotheses to translate these commitments to action and develop implementation plans.

 

Learn more about the Responsible Energy Initiative from these resources.

 

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