Green Energy Diplomacy in the Post Covid-19 World: India’s Efforts towards Climate and Energy Security in the Global South

Abstract

India currently faces a situation where economic growth and citizens' welfare depend on factors like access to energy. Under these circumstances, it becomes critical to examine the need of renewable energy in India. With its commitments on dealing with climate security issues and its own Nationally Determined Contributions, India now banks on clean and renewable sources of energy as the best option available at its disposal. Amidst the Covid-19 and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, energy security has, therefore, become the key concern of India’s foreign policy. India’s excessive reliance on coal and petroleum led to its increase in emissions generating environmental havocs. To avert these crises, India is boosting up its renewable energy sector as the best option for a sustainable future. It has also taken progressive steps in the promotion of renewable energy through multilateral partnerships like the International Solar Alliance. At the 27th Conference of Parties (CoP-27) held in Egypt in 2022, India stated how it had achieved great heights in RE through its updating of the Nationally Determined Contributions in August 2022. Therefore, the paper answers an important question in the literature on renewable energy politics: “In which ways has India linked climate diplomacy with energy security after Covid-19 through the promotion of renewable sources at the international and national levels?” The paper is significant for researchers to view India’s role as a Global South climate leader in a post-pandemic world order by bridging the Global South and the global north divide through renewable sources promotion. The paper also explores the close relationship between climate change and energy security, especially in a post Covid-19 world, where climate change and energy crises are no more national issues but global issues.