Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution, and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
5. India’s journey towards carbon neutrality will depend on the timely availability of minerals whose supplies are constrained by geopolitics. How can India secure its place in this new energy order? (250 Words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: Live Mint
Why the question:
Geopolitics of mineral resources are changing and UPSC too asked a related Qn on this in this year’s mains.
Key Demand of the question:
How critical minerals are important for clean energy transition and how India can secure it.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Give an overview of India’s carbon neutrality aim.
Body:
Explain how the geopolitics of energy resources are changing e.g. china owns over 80% of the supply of critical minerals necessary for clean energy transitions.
Enumerate steps India can take to secure its energy security e.g. fostering innovation and investment across the entire chain of power generation, storage, and supply, use of 3R formula: Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose.
Conclusion:
Suggest the need for the world to collaborate and share resources and technology to meet the climate goals as well as ensure sustainable use of resources.
