Photo source: DD India By Naveed Qazi, Sustainability Analyst  A Circular Economy Approach Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation, an initiative launched by Government of India in 2018,  marks an important shift in India’s renewal energy strategy by treating organic waste as an economic resource than an environmental burden. The initiative envisages thousands of Compressed Biogas plants converting biomass into transport grade fuel while generating organic manure as commercially valuable by product. The model embodies clear circular economy principles. Research has consistently highlighted India’s untapped potential. Writing in Energy Policy, Ravindranath and Balachandra (2009) argue that India’s vast agricultural economy generates enormous quantities of crop residue and animal waste that remain significantly underutilised, despite their considerable energy value. Likewise a 2021 report by NITI Aayog concludes that decentalised Compressed Biogas production co...

By Naveed Qazi, Sustainability Analyst Photo Source: Wire Science India’s energy transition is not only about reducing carbon emissions, or expanding renewable energy. It is also about whether Indian economy can reconcile three objectives namely sustaining economic growth, strengthening energy security, and meeting high climate commitments. With time, the debate has put India part of a broader Global South dilemma. The country also presents a unique case. Instead of many advanced economies, that embarked on decarbonisation after rapid industrialisation, India is pursuing development and green transitions simultaneously. This dual challenge makes India’s case interestingly complex. The transition will also depend on whether its institutions, markets, technology, and public policy converge in long term. Historian of energy Vaclav Smil has consistently argued societies do not replace one source of energy with another. They rather transform entire eco-systems. He further postulates that ev...

Photo source: Edhas Biofuel Refinery By Naveed Qazi, Sustainability Analyst  A s rising ethanol demand and El Nino temperature affect India’s sugarcane industry, the surplus for export is poised to likely decrease for next three seasons. Millions of tons of sugar will be off the world market, threatening supplies for importers across Asia, Africa, and Middle East. It also shows that weather risks and biofuel policies are greatly reshaping global sugar trade flows. Recently, Reuters had done interviews with over a dozen trade and industry executives, government sources, and farmers. They concluded that rising ethanol demand will leave little scope for exports for several years, prompting dealers at global houses to warn head offices of shrinking trade opportunities in India. In Indian culture, sugar is a top consumed product, mainly used in sweets and many poorer households rely on its cheap source of calories. Statistics reveal that India exported 6.8 million metric tons of sugar a...