India needs to create more green jobs with the help of decentralized renewable energy as the country charts its net zero strategy by 2070, said Tata Trusts CEO Siddharth Sharma.
He said that in rural areas, the market for clean energy powered assetisation is estimated to amount $53 billion. “These solutions are diverse, expanding from cold storages, sewing machines, looms, and rice wheels. They can increase access to clean energy and help communities transition away from carbon intensive business models,” he said while speaking at the Outlook Sustainable Power Conclave in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Sharma said that such initiatives will help green livelihood sectors which sometimes get neglected, such as agriculture, MSMEs and other small businesses.
Terming green solutions as crucial for climate change adaptation and resilience, Sharma said it is important to modernize equipment and appliances, reduce tragedy, and impede excess to green power solutions.
Sharma also emphasized the need for a ‘just transition’ in which private sector can play a role in redistributing the gains to build a more equitable society. “Climate progress is not just about economic ambition but also the socioeconomic transmission,” he said.
Quoting the Tata Group founder Jamshedji Tata, Sharma said that in a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but is the purpose of its existence. He said that the Tata Trust has been approaching energy transition with a human lens.
He said that the private sector can provide flexible funding for pilot projects in rural and underserved areas, to ensure a more inclusive energy workforce. It can fund research and development for technological applications that prioritise energy access.
