Making the Paris Agreement a success for the planet and the people of India. Unlocking the co-benefi ts of decarbonising India’s power sector

This COBENEFITS Policy Report for India compiles key findings from the COBENEFITS India Assessment series, quantifying the co-benefits of decarbonising India’s power sector in view of future-oriented employment and skills development, economic prosperity in rural areas, and health benefits related to a less carbon-intensive power sector, which can be instrumental in reviving the national health system. The COBENEFITS India Assessment series can be accessed at: www.cobenefi ts.info. Building on the opportunities presented, the report formulates a set of policy actions to allow government institutions to create an enabling political environment to unlock the social and economic co-benefits of the new energy world of renewables for the people of India. The policy options were generated through a series of roundtable dialogues and government consultations involving government institutions, industry associations, and expert and civil society organisations in the years 2019 and 2020. In light of the current crisis, the study findings indicate that recovering from the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and avoiding severe future shocks triggered through the climate crisis do not represent conflicting interests but instead a mutually reinforcing coping strategy. The Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development offer important internationally agreed frameworks to ensure economic recovery in the shorter term and for building resilient economies and health systems in the long run.