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1. Unfinished Connectivity in the Bay of Bengal

Author:
Amit Bhandari, Sagnik Chakraborty, Naren Punjabi, and Gitanjoli Dasgupta
Publication Date:
10-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:
The Bay of Bengal is a bridge between the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and with a population of 1.4 billion, an increasingly important economic zone in its own right. India has been slow to build regional connectivity. The space has been filled by China's Belt and Road Initiative projects, which have not always been beneficial for host countries. The region may be better off pursuing digital connectivity by enabling tech startups – areas of India’s strength. This research uses maps to explore the potential for energy, transport, and financial connectivity across the Bay of Bengal.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Science and Technology, Infrastructure, Regional Integration, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Transportation
Political Geography:
China, South Asia, India, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, and Bay of Bengal

2. The Just Transition in Energy

Author:
Ian Goldin
Publication Date:
12-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center on International Cooperation
Abstract:
With each new year of data, and each new intergovernmental report, it becomes harder to deny the scale and urgency of the energy transition required to prevent catastrophic anthropogenic climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urges countries to take action to prevent a rise in temperature by more than 1.5°C, and warns of catastrophic consequences of a rise above 2°C. Yet current policies and pledges fall far short of hitting these targets. Worse, since harmful climate change is caused by the stock of carbon in the atmosphere, the longer we delay measures to limit the flow of new carbon into the atmosphere, the more drastic those measures will have to be. This uneven distribution of threat and responsibility raises difficult questions. Developed countries are generally more advanced in their transition to renewables, which means that some of the cheapest opportunities to reduce emissions are in developing countries. Yet the fact remains that developed countries are responsible for a larger share of historic emissions—and developing countries may have a right to pursue development unhindered, as developed countries did in earlier decades. There are therefore several elements of the “just transition” in energy. The world needs to transition to cleaner energy, and the developing world needs to keep developing, all while supporting the countries and communities that bear the highest costs of mitigation measures—and supporting those areas already beginning to feel the negative effects of climate change. This report will outline the key challenges and opportunities and conclude with a series of practical steps available to policymakers.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, International Security, Crisis Management, and Inclusion
Political Geography:
China, Europe, South Asia, Middle East, India, East Asia, South Africa, Latin America, West Africa, United States of America, and Sub-Saharan Africa

3. India’s energy investments: A fresh approach

Author:
Amit Bhandari
Publication Date:
12-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:
Oil is the single largest item in India’s import bill as India relies on imports for over 80% of its oil requirement. The annual import of 1.6 billion barrels of crude oil makes India vulnerable to sharp spikes in energy prices. With limited domestic reserves, India has tried to reduce its vulnerability by investing in oil and gas fields overseas. State-owned oil companies have over 50 overseas investments spread across South America, Africa, West Asia and the former-Soviet Union, all of which have large oil reserves. Investments must be made where the oil is, and often, these tend to be volatile regions. Political volatility in some places like Venezuela, Iran and Sudan/South-Sudan, for example, has led to trouble for a few of India’s investments. The purpose of investing as protection against price fluctuations gets defeated when geopolitical or other unrest leads to oil production reduction.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Oil, Sovereign Wealth Funds, and Investment
Political Geography:
South Asia, Canada, India, Australia, and United States of America

4. Comments on the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020

Author:
Ashwini K. Swain, Parth Bhatia, Ira Sharma, Prasanna Sarada Das, and Navroz K. Dubash
Publication Date:
06-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for Policy Research, India
Abstract:
The draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020, released on April 17, 2020, is an improvement from its predecessors. It has dropped some significant proposals that were resisted and has added new provisions. Are these reform proposals adequate and appropriate to address India’s long-standing electricity challenges? Are these prescriptions based on a proper diagnosis of current trends and future challenges? How will these reforms proposals affect India’s ongoing transition to 21st century electricity? While we appreciate the endeavours and intent, in our comments we focus on some serious concerns the draft raises, vital gaps and issues that need serious consideration.
Topic:
Energy Policy, Governance, Legislation, Electricity, Public Service, and Utilities
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

5. Evaluating Recent Proposals to Reform the Power Sector in India

Author:
Deepak Sanan and Sanjay Mitra
Publication Date:
11-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for Policy Research, India
Abstract:
Reforms designed to address core issues and their sequencing and timing would be critical to ensure the eventual success of the latest initiatives in the power sector. Lessons from the experience of earlier sectoral reform programmes and recommendations regarding the general architecture of central interventions, would need to be taken on board. Through a simple scenario building exercise, this paper concludes that the parlous financial position of the distribution utilities after lockdown requires that “reforms” follow “recovery”. The concurrent roll out of stringent reform measures on several fronts during a period of severe financial stress could seriously impair the prospects of a viable power sector in the near future. This, in turn, will not only hamper our planned promotion of renewables-based electricity but act as a brake on the entire process of economic recovery.
Topic:
Economics, Energy Policy, Governance, and Reform
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

6. Delhi Green Deal

Author:
Rohit Azad and Shouvik Chakraborty
Publication Date:
06-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts Amherst
Abstract:
In this paper, we propose a carbon tax policy for Delhi, the most polluted capital in the world, which will fundamentally change the energy mix of Delhi's economy toward clean, green energy and will guarantee universal access to electricity, transport and food, up to a certain amount. Any carbon mitigation strategy needs to alter our dependence on fossil fuels, requiring a systemic overhaul of its energy mix. Implementing a carbon tax will mitigate emissions and mobilise revenue for our proposed re-distributive program of Right to Food, Energy and Travel (RFET). The policy is designed to prefer `the poor over the rich' as a way of compensating for `rich hiding behind the poor' in terms of emissions and polluting the environment. Using the input-output analysis, we estimate the class-wise distribution of carbon emissions in Delhi. We find that in order to implement this programme, the necessary estimated tax would be $112.5 per metric ton of carbon dioxide. The free entitlement of fuel and electricity per household comes out to be 2040 kWh per annum and there is an annual universal travel pass of $75 per person for use in public transport, and annual per capita availability of food of $205. The purpose of this proposed policy is two-fold in the context of Delhi: bring emissions under control and provide relief to the people who are at the receiving end of this climate crisis.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Inequality, Carbon Tax, Carbon Emissions, and Green Deal
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

7. India-Canada Energy Cooperation

Author:
Amit Bhandari
Publication Date:
07-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
The energy sectors of India and Canada complement each other: India is a large and growing oil importer, while Canada is a large and growing exporter of oil and gas. However, as they invested in oil fields across the world, Indian oil companies have missed out on the Canada story. Investing in Canada’s oil sector can help India guard against the risk of spikes in oil prices and provide Canada with long-term demand security. In this paper, first presented as a backgrounder at Track 1.5 meetings in Mumbai, India, in November 2019, Gateway House outlines its findings on the feasibility of Indian investment in Canada’s petroleum sector, suggesting a path forward and best prospects for investment.
Topic:
Energy Policy, International Trade and Finance, Oil, Gas, and Investment
Political Geography:
Canada, India, Asia, and North America

8. Sustainable Energy through Green Bonds in India

Author:
Olaf Weber and Vasundhara Saravade
Publication Date:
07-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
Emerging economies, such as India, will need significant international investment in climate action in order to transition toward a future that is low-carbon and climate-resilient. India needs fossil fuels at an affordable price and needs to protect itself against price fluctuations. It can meet these needs by investing in Canadian oil companies, given the country’s political stability and rule of law. As an emerging economy, India could attract greater foreign direct investment into its economy through green bonds, a climate finance debt instrument that addresses environmental and climate-related challenges. Not only are green bond issuances linearly increasing over the years, but they also seem to be driven by institutional pressure, provided in part by the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s regulation, as well as by the informal advocacy efforts of market stakeholders. These findings are consistent with institutional theory and contribute to it by introducing the regulatory perspective of the green bond market.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Green Technology, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
India and Asia

9. India-Canada energy cooperation

Author:
Amit Bhandari
Publication Date:
07-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:
Canada has been one of the biggest success stories in oil over the past few years. India should consider financial investments in Canadian energy assets as a means to secure its energy supplies. This paper studies the feasibility and prospects for Indian investment in Canada's petroleum sector.
Topic:
Energy Policy, International Cooperation, Oil, and Investment
Political Geography:
South Asia, Canada, India, and North America

10. Sustainable Energy through Green bonds in India

Author:
Olaf Weber and Vasundhara Saravade
Publication Date:
07-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:
India’s energy future needs to be low-carbon, climate-resilient and protected against price fluctuation. It can meet these needs by investing in Canadian oil companies, given the country’s political stability and rule of law. India can also attract greater foreign direct investment at home through the issuance of green bonds, a climate finance debt instrument that addresses environmental and climate-related challenges. This paper explores the regulatory perspective of the green bond market.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, Foreign Direct Investment, Rule of Law, and Renewable Energy
Political Geography:
South Asia, Canada, India, and North America