Chennai, Apr 9 (TNT): Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras have found that renewable energy can dominate the global energy sector only by the late 2040s under highly aggressive growth and investment scenarios.
Under current trends, renewables may not surpass fossil fuels until the mid-2050s, according to the study.
The study, published in ‘Transactions of the Indian National Academy of Engineering’, examined whether renewable energy can realistically lead the global net-zero transition by 2050 and concluded that the world is not investing at the speed or scale required to meet climate targets.
The research was co-authored by Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai of the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras and Rajat Dehury, Doctoral Research Scholar, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras.
Prof. Sangwai said the transition to renewables is not only an environmental necessity but also an economic and geopolitical imperative, stressing that urgent, coordinated and well-funded action is needed to bridge the gap between ambition and implementation.
Co-author, Mr. Rajat Dehury, said “Our analysis is grounded in actual renewable energy growth data from the past decade. The observations are sobering. Without a dramatic acceleration in investment, policy reform, and grid infrastructure, we risk missing every major climate target of the coming decades.”
According to the study, under the current renewable energy growth trajectory of around 5.48 per cent annually, renewables are projected to account for 50 per cent of the global energy mix between 2047 and 2053, missing the 2050 net-zero deadline.
However, if renewable growth doubles to 10.96 per cent annually, the 50 per cent threshold could be achieved as early as 2035–37.
The report noted that despite a 128 per cent increase in global renewable capacity between 2014 and 2023, renewables still account for only 14.56 per cent of total global primary energy consumption, while fossil fuels continue to supply more than 81 per cent of the world’s energy needs.
Highlighting India’s role in the global energy transition, the study said the country has committed to reaching 485 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, including solar, wind, hydro and bioenergy.
Meeting these targets will be crucial both for India’s development and for achieving global climate goals, it said.
The researchers also emphasised that renewable energy alone will not be sufficient to achieve net-zero by 2050, and called for complementary measures including carbon capture technologies, advanced energy storage systems, energy efficiency improvements and smart grid modernisation.
TNT KS
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