Responsible Renewable Energy Summit focuses on social good, circularity & ecological aspects of RE expansion in India

To foster dialogue about India’s rapidly advancing renewable energy landscape, the Responsible Energy Initiative convened its annual “Responsible Renewable Energy Summit 2024,” in New Delhi. The event drew active engagement from senior government officials, stakeholders in the renewable energy sector, investors, intellectuals, policymakers, research institutions, and energy specialists.

The event was organised by Responsible Energy Initiative India in collaboration NSEFI.

The Summit aimed to delve into India’s ambitious renewable energy objectives and their ramifications for both society and the environment. With the nation presently boasting 180 GW of installed renewable energy capacity and aspiring to achieve a non-fossil fuel-based generation capacity of 500 GW by 2030, it’s evident that the momentum toward renewable energy deployment will intensify. Notably, discussions at last year’s Conference of Parties 28 in Dubai underscored the global imperative to triple renewable energy capacity worldwide.

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In his keynote address, Ashish Tiwari, Secretary, Department of Environment Forests and Climate Change, Uttar Pradesh, said that the challenge before us is balance the need for development and well-being of natural environment. “Responsible RE transition has land requirements and circularity of waste generated from RE. Agri-PV is a good solution that can give returns of 1.4 times to the farmers when amalgamated through horticulture and spices cultivation,” he said. Tiwari noted that we must not create the problem of RE waste first and then search for solution; recycling must go hand-in-hand.

Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, ISA mentioned, “There are two critical aspects to ensure responsible renewable energy transition. One is ensuring renewable energy projects are not planned in biodiversity rich areas and secondly, ensuring proper management of solar waste, which needs to be kept in mind.” Stressing on recycling of solar waste, solar has to made in such a way that the materials are easily separable and the industry is able to do social good.

The discussion on circularity and innovation explored how rapid technological progress can address challenges associated with mineral extraction, processing, and the end-of-life phase of renewable energy technologies, considering their potential environmental and social impacts.

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Deepak Krishnan, Deputy Director of Energy at WRI India, emphasized the importance of countries like India developing the capacity for critical mineral processing due to their scarcity and concentration in specific regions. Furthermore, with the swift adoption of new technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels, it is crucial to optimize processes from extraction to usage and to plan for proper disposal and potential reuse to mitigate negative impacts.