Important role of renewable energy sources in mitigation of CO2 emissions in Indian context

Due to impact of global industrialization, on developed countries, there has been a sharp increase of CO2 concentration from 270ppm to 400ppm, during the 20th century. This is due to use of fossil fuels for power production, among other reasons. This has challenged the existence of human beings and other organisms. If not controlled, the survival of living organisms will be in danger. In order to balance the ecological system comprising air, water and biosphere, less polluting renewable energy sources should be used to meet energy demand. Renewable energy sources are recognized as clean sources of energy and optimal use of them minimizes environmental impact. Hence renewable energy sources provide an excellent opportunity for mitigation of CO2 emission. In this presentation, a review has been attempted on scope of CO2 mitigation, through renewable energy sources, in Indian context. The potential of CO2 mitigation has also been estimated and compared with the base value of CO2 emissions. The estimation has been done by examining various alternatives. The methodology developed can be profitably applied to explore other possibilities, as well.