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Reimagining Green Economy through Landscapes

 Syllabus: Energy

 Source:  TH

Context: India’s bioeconomy has grown 16 times in the last decade (2014–2024), reaching $165.7 billion and accounting for 4.25% of GDP, but challenges of rural–urban disparity highlight the need for a landscape-driven green economy model.

About Reimagining Green Economy through Landscapes:

Green Economy:

  • A green economy is an economic model that fosters sustainable development while reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.

Features of Green Economy:

  • Low carbon: Promotes renewable energy, e-mobility, and energy efficiency to reduce emissions.
  • Resource efficiency: Encourages recycling, waste-to-energy, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture.
  • Inclusive growth: Integrates women, rural communities, and MSMEs into green value chains.
  • Ecosystem restoration: Protects biodiversity, soil health, water resources, and forests.
  • Technology-driven: Uses AI, IoT, and digital platforms for monitoring, smart grids, and carbon markets.

Importance of Green Economy:

  • Climate resilience: Reduces India’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and ensures food–water security.
  • Employment generation: Expected to create 35 million green jobs by 2030, fostering inclusive livelihoods.
  • Energy security: Lowers dependence on fossil fuels, promoting self-reliance under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
  • Global competitiveness: Helps India counter carbon border taxes and expand in sustainable export markets.
  • Social equity: Bridges rural–urban divide by enabling clean energy access, sustainable farming, and women’s participation.

Constitutional and Policy:

  • Article 21 & 48A: Right to life and State’s duty to protect environment.
  • Panchayats (Article 243G): Empowered for local planning including natural resource management.
  • Policies & Missions: National Bio-Energy Mission, BioE3 Policy (2024), National Action Plan on Climate Change, Bharat 6G Vision, and MGNREGA’s green infrastructure initiatives.

Emerging Trends in India’s Green Economy:

  • Rapid Bioeconomy Growth: Contribution of 4.25% to GDP, with biofuels, bioplastics, and pharmaceuticals leading.
  • Ethanol & Renewables Push: Achieved 20% ethanol blending, 250% growth in renewable energy capacity (2015–2021).
  • Job Potential: 35 million green jobs by 2030; however, gender gap persists, with women holding only 11% of rooftop solar jobs.
  • Rural-Urban Divide: Urban centres attract EVs, green infrastructure, and green jobs; rural areas face slower, inequitable adoption.
  • Regional Disparities: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Telangana dominate, while eastern and tribal-rich states remain underrepresented.

Challenges and Trade-offs:

  • Disparities in Access:
  • Urban areas receive bulk of green investments; rural areas lag in irrigation efficiency, renewable adoption, and clean tech.
  • Eg: North-eastern states contribute <6% to bioeconomy despite resource richness.
  • Energy Transition Dilemmas:
  • Simultaneous push for renewables and fossil fuel subsidies (up to 40%) undermines net gains.
  • Solar pumps risk incentivising over-extraction of groundwater.
  • Industrial Pressure:
  • Hard-to-abate sectors (steel, cement, power) contribute 23% of GHG emissions; green tech costs remain >4x traditional options.
  • Socio-economic Risks:
  • Rapid transition risks job loss for coal workers, MSMEs, small manufacturers.
  • Agriculture-dependent households (58% of rural livelihoods) remain vulnerable to climate variability.
  • Gender and Social Gaps:
  • Women’s participation in green jobs remains 1–3% in technical roles.
  • Tribal and marginal communities remain “beneficiaries” rather than climate leaders.
  • Policy Fragmentation:
    • Despite BioE3 and renewable missions, lack of integration across ministries and weak enforcement reduces effectiveness.

Landscape Approach: A Way Forward

  • Integrated Planning:
    • View landscapes as systems of land, water, biodiversity, energy, and local markets.
    • Adopt participatory assessments from village to macro-level for ecosystem valuation.
  • Institutional Anchoring:
    • Leverage 2.5 lakh PRIs and 12 million women-led SHGs for design, monitoring, and ownership of green transitions.
  • Circular & Local Economies:
    • Promote tribal-led bioeconomy models (non-timber forest produce, agri-waste reuse).
  • Gender Mainstreaming:
  • Green Infrastructure and Innovation:
    • Green budgeting, fiscal incentives, public procurement of sustainable products.
    • Expand 100+ 5G/6G labs for greening digital infrastructure.
  • Waste and Resource Management:
    • Urban areas generate 75% of solid waste; rural areas face unsegregated bio + plastic waste.
    • Need for SOPs, decentralised financing, and circular waste economy.

Conclusion:

India’s green transition must move beyond urban-industrial focus towards a landscape-driven, community-based model. Integrating local resources, women’s leadership, and tribal bioeconomy with technology can build resilience. By 2047, India must aim for ecological regeneration, equity, and global climate leadership, not just GDP growth.