Why RE must try to be responsible energy too
Renewable energy (RE) is vital to building a resilient and secure future energy system. However, it has also become clear that RE is not as benign as we presumed. While RE generation is zero-carbon (barring some biofuels), there are emissions at other points of its lifecycle, such as during raw material extraction and equipment manufacturing. Then there are RE’s detrimental impacts on biodiversity and ecology.
The projections for RE-related waste are staggering when our landfills are overflowing and the recycling infrastructure is ill-prepared to handle this waste. And then, conflicts over land rights are already affecting green energy transitions. Would asking the RE industry to scale-up production to address the current energy crisis lead to more challenges and conflicts?
We don’t think this is inevitable. We think the RE industry has opportunities to drive positive change across all these areas. Our coalition of research organisations — Forum for the Future, WRI India, TERI, WWF-India, BHRRC, and Landesa — have been working with RE developers, equipment manufacturers, investors, banks, and civil society organisations to understand how the scaling of RE in India can be ecologically safe and socially just. We believe that RE shouldn’t stand merely for renewable energy but responsible energy.
To avoid negative impacts, the RE industry must act on four principles: First, it must actively promote universal labour, land, and human rights; protect, restore and nurture resilient, thriving ecological systems; commit to participatory governance principles; and believe that resilient communities and an inclusive workforce are critical to their success.
The first step has been to acknowledge that these issues exist. Now, we need leading RE sector players to build a shared understanding of how to avoid the extractive mindset that drove much of the fossil fuel-based energy production.
The RE sector must also study environmental and social impact assessments to prevent and mitigate negative impacts. Finally, they must enhance their RE procurement processes, and include designing for circularity and traceability in the supply chain.
The most powerful way of encouraging many of these areas is to demonstrate the art of the possible. At the Responsible Energy Initiative, we have a cohort of ambitious industry actors, including Renew Power, JSW Energy, Wipro, Navitas Solar, Fourth Partner, EverSource Capital, Axis Bank, TPG Investors, British International Investment, National Solar Energy Federation of India and the Global Wind Energy Council, which are developing ‘Made in India’ manufacturing plants and also developing pioneering approaches to labour rights and resource use, and a protocol for how to drive greater transparency in the value chain. We invite more to join the responsible energy wave.
This is not to say that other actions aren’t taking place. For example, significant efforts are also being made to address solar photovoltaic waste. However, while these are useful, we also need to be designing for circular resource use from the start. We need more systemic action, and it needs to become the norm quickly.
This opportunity is not unique to India. Across the world, countries are experiencing the same RE-related challenges. We must act now. The Responsible Energy Initiative in India seeks to lead by example, showcasing how responsible RE can help enhance energy security, mitigate the climate crisis, and help drive a deeply transformational clean energy transition.