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The crux of the theoretical argument is that since India has neither historically emitted nor currently emits carbon anywhere close to what the global North has, or does, in per capita terms, and thus it has no reason to commit to declining dependence on coal, at least in the near future.
The Argument against Coal
- Renewable alternative: Economic development requires energy but that does not translate into energy by burning coal. We have other cleaner forms of energy available. The Argument in favour of coal is on account of its cost, reliability and domestic availability alone. With the reduction in the prices of renewable energy, this argument has diminished.
- Lower Cost of electricity: from renewable energy sources has been declining sharply over the last decade and is already less than fossil fuel-based electricity generation.
- High degree of Reliability: variability of such sources to a large extent and, with technological progress.
- The abundance of renewable natural resources: in the tropical climate can give India a head start in this competitive world of technology. India has no dearth of solar energy.
- South-South collaborations: These can further help India avoid the usual patterns of trade between the North and the South, and may help address the issue of surplus labour provide decentralised access to clean energy to the poor and it simultaneously addresses the issues of employment, technology, energy poverty and self reliance.
WAY FORWARD:
- Working class must demand greener path from the global elite: The need of the hour is a global progressive agenda that does not pit the working class of the North against the South but the working people of the world as a whole resisting the global ruling elite in its aggressive and dangerous model of competitive emissions.
- Chalking out an independent, greener path to development may create conditions for such negotiations and give the South the moral high ground to force the North to come to the table, like South Africa did at Glasgow.
