India is currently grappling with toxic smog, and it may take approximately 188 years to eliminate air pollution and carbon emissions completely from its system. A new study, conducted by researchers at Stanford University, reveals that India needs nearly two centuries starting now to transition to 100% clean energy.
The report comes at a time when multiple Indian cities, including Delhi-NCR, are reeling under thick smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaching the 400-mark, considered 'severe'. However, in contrast, China, the world's largest energy consumer and pollution emitter, is projected to reach 100% transition in just 25 years from now. The United States, on the other hand, may complete the transition by 2128.
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India may battle air pollution for 188 years
India's air pollution crisis is ranked one of the worst globally. According to the World Air Quality Report 2023, 83 of the 100 most polluted cities in the world are in India. The country may battle air pollution for 188 years, study reveals. The pollution is attributed to harmful emissions from power plants, dust from activities such as construction, stubble burning, energy use, and fossil fuels, etc.
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Major contributors to pollution
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change estimates that the reason behind 1.7 million deaths in India in the year 2022 was due to man-made air pollution. One of the biggest contributors was fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which can penetrate deep into the bloodstream, damaging lungs and other organs.
Wind, water and solar sources hold the key
Researchers at Stanford University have analyzed how the air pollution crisis can effectively be eliminated. The key to clean energy and air are electrifying system as well as meeting all heat demand through renewable wind, water, and solar (WWS) sources, which includes:
- Onshore and offshore wind power
- Solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power
- Direct solar heat
- Geothermal energy
- Hydropower
- Tidal and wave energy
Researchers stress that the speed of national transitions will determine whether the world can tackle global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity in time. The study highlights China’s rapid progress, noting that its projected renewable energy expansion in 2025 alone is 20 times larger than France’s fastest-ever nuclear power expansion.
The study also highlights that the speed of national transitions plays a key role in determining whether the world can tackle issues related to global warming and air pollution in time. Researchers predict that China will likely generate about 54% of the total clean energy in 2025 that America will require to meet its entire energy demand with renewables by 2050.
When will India reach 100% renewables?
China, India, and the United States are projected to potentially reach 100 percent renewables only after 2130 unless transition rates grow significantly.
“Diesel vehicles, especially trucks and buses, cause the greatest harm because they emit far more black carbon than petrol vehicles, unless they are fitted with diesel particulate filters, which are part of the BS-6 standard,” US-based pollution and patient safety expert Devabhaktuni Srikrishna said.