The Role of the National Solar Mission in Climate Change Mitigation and the Twin Objective of Energy Security

Nigel Singh

Archive data: Person was Visiting Fellow at IDSA Nigel Singh is a Visiting Fellow, researching India’s contribution to the technology transfer debate within the UN climate negotiations, using developments in… Continue reading The Role of the National Solar Mission in Climate Change Mitigation and the Twin Objective of Energy Security read more

This article outlines the National Solar Mission’s role as India’s major climate change mitigation policy, arguing that India’s National Solar Mission (NSM) was initially conceived to bolster India’s position against legally binding commitments on carbon emissions. However, the NSM also has twin objectives in energy security. Progress in the NSM is outlined before its problems are examined in order to clarify how the Indian government may direct its development to fulfil energy security and energy access goals. This includes examining possibilities in indigenisation of solar manufacture and international funding before concluding that formal co-operation with China, the dominant photovoltaic manufacturer, could be considered.