India has made great strides in increasing its use of green energy but the country is falling short of its targets.
To help meet its renewable energy goals, New Delhi is pushing for greater financial support from wealthier nations at the Cop27 climate summit, which began on Sunday in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
“India would need committed help to meet its targets,” says Shailendra Singh Rao, founder and managing director of Creduce, a climate change and carbon asset management services company in Ahmedabad in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
“Climate finance is to be paid by developed countries — a sum of $100 billion per year — to developing countries. This was committed way back in Cop15. Not a single year [has] the target has been matched.”
India will require $223bn of investment to meet its solar and wind installations by 2030, according to a report by BloombergNEF.
The South Asian country has set a target of 175 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by the end of this year, with most of it coming from solar.
It is expected to achieve between 70 per cent and 75 per cent of the target, global analytics company Crisil said. India aims to achieve 500 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030.
Pranav Master, director of Crisil Market Intelligence and Analytics, put the gap down to lower rooftop solar capacity due to implementation challenges.
“Nevertheless, this achievement is noteworthy, given that India's renewable energy capacity rose about 3.5 times from 2014 to 2022,” he said.
There has been mounting pressure on India — which is home to some of the world’s most polluted cities — from developed countries to phase out the use of coal and reduce its carbon footprint. Asia’s third-largest economy is set to become the most populous country next year.
In August, India updated its “nationally determined contributions” that details targets and plans for reducing emissions, which is required under treaties signed by countries that are part of the Cop27 conference.
India has promised to cut the intensity of emissions from its economic output by 45 per cent by 2030, compared with its levels in 2005. It has also pledged to raise its share of installed renewable energy capacity to 50 per cent by 2030, from 40 per cent currently, including large hydroelectric projects.
This will be no easy task, given that India is still heavily dependent on coal, which accounts for about 70 per cent of the country’s electricity generation.
On Friday, the Indian government said it would focus on climate finance at Cop27 as the collective annual funds that had been promised had not been delivered.
“India looks forward to substantial progress on the discussions related to climate finance and clarity on its definition,” the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said at the time.
“There is a need now to substantially enhance the ambition to ensure adequate resource flow.
“More clarity is needed on the definition of climate finance for the developing countries to be able to accurately assess the extent of finance flows for climate action,” the ministry said.
India also needs to generate its own funding for the renewables sector.
“Due to increasing energy demand in India, led by strong economic growth, capacity additions in the renewable energy space need to accelerate at a faster pace,” says Vineet Sukumar, founder and managing director of Vivriti Asset Management.
To do this, India needs to significantly scale up investment in green energy, he says.
“Such a barrier to clean energy financing can only be solved via alternative sources of financing like Alternative Investment Funds, which can pool together commercial and impact capital, and especially lock in large international pools of capital,” Mr Sukumar says.
India is making significant progress when it comes to renewables, despite the challenges. But it needs to do much more to achieve its targets, industry sources say.
“As per plan, we are [falling] far behind what was predicted,” says Gautam Das, founder and chief executive of Oorjan Cleantech, a Mumbai-based solar energy company.
“Adoption is not as fast as what was predicted, so we are lagging behind.”
Another major factor holding back the growth of green energy in India is consumer awareness and a lack of cheap finance to enable more rooftop solar capacity can be installed, Mr Das says.
The government should offer “some incentive to the consumer directly or some incentive to the bankers to deploy money in renewable energy”, says Mr Das. India will accelerate its efforts soon, he says.
“The pace is slow, we understand, but it will catch up,” he says. “The outlook is very positive.”
While India is transitioning to renewable power, the government and industry experts recognise that fossil fuels will continue to be a significant source of energy for many years to come, as the country's economy expands and electricity demand surges.
“India’s in a tough position because we are still a middle-income country,” says Nitin Gupta, co-founder and chief executive of Attero, an electronic waste recycling company in India.
“Our GDP [gross domestic product] per capita is very low compared to some of the other developed countries out there. So to make sure that we continue to grow, we can't just say that we are shutting non-fossil fuel, we are completely switching to renewables as a country.
“Along with growth, we need to be mindful of a carbon footprint that is coming along with the growth or what is the cost of environment of the growth.”
Vineet Mittal, chairman of Avaada Group, which develops and operates and solar and wind projects in India, believes that India can realise its green ambitions.
“Despite Covid-related and supply chain-related challenges in the last 12 months, we have added more than 2 gigawatts [worth of] projects,” he says.
However, one of the major hurdles is land acquisition.
“Land is always an emotional and sensitive issue for India,” Mr Mittal says.
“And even though most of the solar projects are coming on wasteland, still, the challenge is significant, to get clearances to secure the land needed for wind and solar projects.”
Working in India's favour are the global partnerships it is forming to grow its renewable energy sector.
The UAE is working closely with India to boost climate action. The countries have agreed to fast-track various initiatives, including public-private partnerships across renewable power, green hydrogen, sustainable finance and carbon market development.
There is no doubt that India will scale up its green energy sector substantially in the coming years, Mr Master of Crisil says.
But areas that would need to be watched closely to achieve its goals are “long-term policy consistency, low-cost availability of finance and land availability in resource rich areas close to transmission stations”, says Mr Master.
Ultimately, India has promised that it will be net-zero by 2070.
Cop27 will be a critical opportunity for the country to seek assistance and clarity on finance, as well as support on technology transfer and capacity building to help to achieve its goals, Mr Master says.
However, the future looks bright.
“Long-term trends, including a shift to electric vehicles as well as green hydrogen, would further boost renewable energy demand in India,” Mr Master says.
“The renewable energy sector is expected to record healthy growth over the long-term given the strong government thrust on clean energy.”
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
'Nope'
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
England v West Indies
England squad for the first Test Cook, Stoneman, Westley, Root (captain), Malan, Stokes, Bairstow, Moeen, Roland-Jones, Broad, Anderson, Woakes, Crane
Fixtures
1st Test Aug 17-21, Edgbaston
2nd Test Aug 25-29, Headingley
3rd Test Sep 7-11, Lord's
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Sri Lanka v England
First Test, at Galle
England won by 211
Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs
Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
