The axis of power and influence in the world is subtly shifting as younger economies are taking center stage – both in terms of economic power, as well as in shaping larger narratives that are important for our species and the planet. Gone is the time when western nations created frameworks and spearheaded agreements that the rest of the world fell in line with.
Today, emerging economies have their own voices, and one of the most powerful voices amongst them is ours. India is critical to achieving global goals in nearly every sphere – be it geopolitical stability, achieving breakthroughs like fusion power and interplanetary space flight, raising women into the echelons of power, eradication of poverty, access to healthcare, conservation, climate action and sustainability.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, “Sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity will be of great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet. It will be a world of fewer challenges and greater hope; and, more confident of its success”. In that moment, Indians all over the world stood taller.
These words were followed by swift action. The NITI Aayog, Govt of India’s premier think tank was entrusted with the task of coordinating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mapping schemes related to the SDGs and their targets, and identifying lead and supporting ministries for each target. As a central agency, the NITI Aayog has the birds eye view of the whole program, and is laying special emphasis on those efforts that affect multiple goals simultaneously.
One of these areas is India’s investment in clean energy. Through focus on this one area, India is able to move the needle on SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (Climate action), SDG 14 (Life below water), and SDG 15 (Life on land).
India currently generates 55% of its electricity from coal. However, we don’t need to, as India is rich in the potential for clean energy generation:
- India’s solar power potential stands at a whopping 5,000 trillion kWh per year.
- The recent assessment indicates a gross wind power potential of 302 GW in the country at 100 meter and 695.50 GW at 120 meter above ground level
- According to a recent study sponsored by MNRE, India creates roughly 750 million metric tonnes of biomass per year. At an estimated surplus biomass availability of about 230 million metric tonnes per annum amounts to a potential of roughly 28 GW. This apart, about 14 GW additional power could be generated through bagasse based cogeneration in the country’s 550 Sugar mills, if these sugar mills were to adopt technically and economically optimal levels of cogeneration for extracting power.
It’s a little known fact that India is already the world’s third largest producer of renewable energy, with 40% of its installed electricity capacity coming from non-fossil fuel sources. Now, by 2030, India is aiming to meet 50% of its energy needs through renewables, and increase its renewable energy capacity to 500GW.
It can be done. We have the natural resources we need to make this happen: the sun, the wind, and the biomass that results from bountiful agriculture. What we need now are enablers: a steady supply of capital investment, skilled labor, and a strong quality framework that builds in longevity and high performance.
This is where the Quality Council of India (QCI) is setting us up to succeed. Since its inception 25 years ago, QCI has strived to create an ecosystem of quality by way of training, certification, accreditation and mentoring. The framework exists for both suppliers and providers, businesses and regulators, for those who want to join the skilled workforce and for those who want to employ them.
How QCI does this is by taking a multi-pronged approach. The first arm is skill development. The QCI is made up of several boards. The National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET). NABET has established mechanisms for overall quality assurance in sectors such as services, education (formal and informal), industry, environment etc. What this means is that not only are education and training providers adhering to set norms, they are also constantly working with NABET to improve outcomes.
QCI’s Training And Capacity Building (TCB) cell has been working in conjunction with international organizations to build capacity across various domains and bring global best practices to India. In keeping with the times, TCB imparts training through classroom training, virtual training, webinars and eLearning, and helps the GOI, regulators, academic institutions, and industrial associations create customized training courses.
Moreover, NABET’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) schemes allow the GOI directives on strict compliance of green norms to trickle into the everyday workings of industry and new developments. Consultants involved in preparing EIA reports all conform to the same standards, and in so doing, pull up compliance numbers for the entire industrial ecosystem.
This is also where the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) acts as a tuning fork for an entire spectrum of providers, from NGOs to large corporations, bringing them all into alignment into one quality framework. QCI’s quality framework ensures that manufacturers, end users and society at large, receive improved returns on investment.
Specifically when we talk of clean energy, NABCB accreditations on Energy Management Systems, Environment Management Systems, and Quality Management Systems are particularly relevant. Apart from these specific accreditations, NABCB also raises the bar on all support functions – from IT and IT security, to occupational health and safety.
What makes the Indian economy a powerful juggernaut today, is the strength of the MSME sector, which is driving growth across industries, service segments and exports. However, the MSME sector needs handholding and support to be competitive in global marketplaces. To do just that, the Zero Effect Zero Defect (ZED) scheme has been launched under the aegis of the Ministry of MSME. ZED makes Indian products incredibly attractive to the global marketplace because of the twofold assurance of high quality, and of being sustainably sourced or created.
Since MSMEs are assessed on their sustainability practices for ZED certification, their power source can make an enormous difference. Adoption of solar power by MSMEs can also go the distance in powering MSMEs during summer, when power cuts reach their peak in several Indian states. This confers a two-fold advantage to their competitiveness, particularly in western markets: sustainability from clean energy sources, and business continuity that comes from a reliable source of power.
India is a growing economy, which means that our energy needs will only grow. Does this mean that we need to choose between what’s good for the planet, and what’s good for people? No. Clearly, there is a better way. Our investments in clean energy not only make it possible for us to power our economic prosperity, but to do so in a way that creates more jobs in frontier technologies, improved quality of life for all citizens, cleaner air and water, and improved land use.
PM Narendra Modi set us worthy goals in 2015: to show the world that growth and sustainability are not exclusive to one another. To achieve all these goals in tandem, without pumping the brakes on our economy, India needs to achieve its renewable energy potential. Fortunately, both the political will exists, as does QCI’s ecosystem that brings Gunvatta se Atmanirbharta to our renewable energy program.
This is a partnered post.
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