Themes

Energy

Adequate, affordable, and modern energy supplies are one of the essential drivers towards human well-being as well as economic development and the transition from an agriculture-based economy to an industrial and service-based economy. And yet statistics indicate that over 1.3 billion people across the globe lack access to electricity and 2.7 billion rely on traditional biomass-based methods for cooking, 84% of them in rural areas. The corresponding figures in the context of India are no different, where only 66% of the households rely on electricity as primary source of lighting and 68% still depend on biomass-based traditional fuels for cooking. However, power deficit has shown a decreasing trend in the past five years in India.

The Secretary General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC, 2010) sets the goal of ensuring universal access to modern energy services by 2030 and reduced global energy intensity to 40% by 2030. The Human Development Report, 2011  also mentions that electricity can be provided to the 1.5 billion people who are now off the power grid in a manner that is both affordable and sustainable, without increasing the global carbon emissions even by 1%. Achieving sustainable economic development demands appropriate use of resources, technologies, and strategic policy planning at the local, national, and global levels. This is in the context of emerging economies such as India who face the twofold challenge of meeting universal energy access along with introduction and transition to clean energy systems to meet rising energy demands. The portal provides a comprehensive update as well as platform to share views on energy access scenario, policies, available technologies and findings for the policymakers and practitioners working to achieve the common goal of energy and sustainable development for all.