On Wednesday, some Indian government sources said that the country’s coal demand is estimated to grow in absolute terms in the next few years as phasing it out is terribly difficult.
"While there will be an overall reduction of coal's contribution to electricity generation in percentage terms, there will still be some increase in absolute terms," one of the sources said.
They elaborated that the country’s energy requirement is growing and is not yet to peak.
India has pledged to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix from about 38% in 2020 to 50% by 2030. It also sets to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2070 albeit the target timeline is open to reassessment.
The country has been open in rejecting a clause calling for the phase-out of coal-fired power during the UN climate conference, along with some other coal-dependent developing countries.
One government source argued that phasing out coal could have severe repercussions on the livelihoods of many Indians.
