Exclusive: India can hit net-zero well before 2070, says climate expert

India will be able to meet its net-zero goals even before the current target of the year 2070, considering the progress the country has made so far in key areas like renewable energy development, a top global expert on climate change and sustainability says.

''Look at India’s achievements in solar energy for example -- surpassing set goals (2030) by years and now poised to increase those targets. We are also seeing the same kind of action on the overall net zero goals,'' Katie McGinty, vice-president & chief sustainability and external relations officer, Johnson Controls, told Fortune India in an exclusive interaction.

Katie, former chairperson of the 'White House Council on Environmental Quality' and served as deputy assistant to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, is now a member of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Steering Committee and Independent Standards Board, headquartered in the U.S. The GHG Protocol establishes comprehensive global standardised frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions.

She said India has a high level of adoption of digital capabilities and technologies and it will help to lead to emissions reduction. When data and digital platforms enhance operating systems, it significantly cuts emissions, energy and water use. Hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel or chemicals require innovation across industries, especially in the built environment, which contributes nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Through efficiency, electrification, and digitalisation, it is possible to convert that 40% to net-zero emissions and even net-positive energy contributors, she said.

''We must start with energy efficiency - maximising well-being with minimal cost and resources. This foundation allows us to meet remaining energy needs with renewable and distributed assets and must address these needs through scalable solutions, ensuring sustainable growth across communities globally,'' she said.

Public-private partnerships are critical to meeting the overall funding needs for this energy transition. Globally, experts estimate we need an additional $4 trillion annually in investments to achieve the required energy transition. Policies that accelerate the deployment of investment dollars into sustainable businesses and technologies are essential.

Strong drivers are pushing the transition forward and now many companies see adopting efficient technologies as a business advantage, reducing costs and enhancing resilience. For example, supply chain shocks post-COVID-19 showed that companies with advanced energy solutions fared better. Another factor is green financing as many lending institutions have made it clear that continued investment or lending is contingent on adopting sustainable practices. This shift is seen in sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, and even in legacy industries like mining and extractive sectors, which are under pressure to decarbonise to access global financial resources. This transformation is no longer optional and it has become a business-critical requirement, said the expert.

Katie says the key is to begin by driving energy efficiency — using efficient technologies, electrification, heat pumps, and digital systems that enable system-wide optimisation. Renewable energy is a critical piece of the equation but requires maximum efficient processes, as renewable energy assets can support double or even triple the economic growth with the same footprint. In hard-to-decarbonise sectors like the steel industry or other industrial processes requiring very high temperatures, green hydrogen and heat pumps can bring in the transition. Modern heat pumps can now reach temperatures high enough to create steam, which can then support these industrial processes. Biofuels will also play a role. Additionally, there’s the potential to capture the remaining carbon emissions and put them to beneficial use—for example, incorporating carbon into new cement formulas or other materials, said the expert.