Huge achievement! India hits major clean-energy milestone 5 years ahead of schedule

India has hit a major milestone in its journey towards clean energy by achieving 50 per cent production of energy from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of its 2030 target.

 

India’s target under the Paris Agreement was to set up 500GW of renewable energy-based electricity generation by 2030. Out of 484.8GW of total installed capacity, 242.8GW is now based on renewable or low-carbon sources, as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

 

This is in contrast to the western world, where fossil fuel continues to be the major energy source. In 2022, as per figures made available by the European Union, 70.9 per cent of the region’s energy demands were met by fossil sources. This figure is an increase over 2021. Since 1990, though, the region has seen a decline in the use of fossil fuels by 11.5 percentage points. For the United States of America, the figures are far worse, as 84 per cent of its total energy needs were met by fossil fuels in 2023.

 

Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Prahlad Joshi took to X to write: “In a world seeking climate solutions, India is showing the way.”

 

While the country’s per capita emissions, at one-third of the global average, remain among the lowest, India is one of the few G20 countries that are on track to meet its commitments made under the Nationally Determined Contributions. The next focus will be on strengthening the transmission grid and scaling up battery and pumped hydro storage.

 

The country’s installed capacity includes 49.92 per cent of thermal capacity, 1.81 per cent of nuclear and 48.27 per cent of renewable energy, including large hydropower, as of June 30 2025, the MNRE statement said.

 

Saurabh Kumar, Vice President of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, said that public participation in schemes like PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, wherein people are given subsidies to install rooftop solar panels, has had a clear impact. India’s achievements can be a lesson for the entire global south.

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