India has requested to join the IEA

Context: The Indian government has formally requested to join the International Energy Agency (IEA).

International Energy Agency (IEA):

• IEA is another organisation that is composed of many countries and its focus is energy.
• Head offices are in the capital city of France – Paris and the whole organisation has 31 member states, 13 association states and 5 prospective members.
• India gained a status of an associate member of the IEA in 2017.
• IEA was a brainchild formed in 1974 in reaction to the oil crisis of 1973 and remains part of the OECD.
• It gives recommendations, industry analysis, and the facts of energy all over the world.
• Initially, the main goals were to address supply disruptions in oil, report on share market information, and establish partnerships on energy conservation among nations during the technical field.
• The IEA in its early days concentrated only on major traditional energy resources. However, it soon started delving into the newer renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biofuels, as well nuclear power and hydrogen technologies, as it began covering the global energy system.
• TheOverthetimereportoccupies publications such as the World Energy Outlook, World Energy Investment, World Energy Balances, World Energy Statistics, Energy Technology Perspectives, and India Energy Outlook.

Several reasons for India wanting to be a part of the International Energy Agency (IEA):

• India’s inclusion in the IEA is in line with its objectives of shifting to clean energy sources and achieving climate change targets, especially as outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement.
• This move will provide India with an opportunity to showcase its leadership and influence in global climate and energy matters, allowing it to promote its initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance.
• Furthermore, collaboration with the IEA can support India’s efforts in renewable energy by securing assistance, knowledge, and financial support from international allies.

Consequences of India joining the International Energy Agency (IEA):

• India’s membership to IEA will bring significant advantages to the country. For instance, it favours energy security by collecting energy information, which is additional to market analysis and emergency responses.
• Additionally, Indo-IAEA collaboration helps the country to share information, products, and technologies along. Thus, the clean energy transition is emergent and the energy efficiency is improved.
• Moreover, investor participation facilitates capital flow towards India’s energy sector, with subsequent growth in infrastructure arising and new jobs being created.
• Along with this, being units of IEA would further help India to grab the attention of world energy policies and be present in discussions on crucial matters related to global climate and energy poverty.
• On the other hand, the thought of the majority of economic development participants’ decision making process may marginalise or mark India as a conformist to IEA’s agenda that may not always be in line with Indian national interest.

Conclusion: 

• India’s diverse perspectives and unique energy challenges bring valuable insights to the International Energy Agency (IEA), expanding its understanding of global energy issues.
• India’s involvement also encourages the IEA to prioritise the needs and priorities of developing countries like India, leading to more inclusive and relevant policies for emerging economies.
• Additionally, India’s membership strengthens the IEA’s presence and influence in the rapidly growing energy market of Asia, enhancing its credibility and global impact.

Source: Economic times

Practice question:

Q. Which of the following is/are the characteristic/characteristics of Indian coal?(2013)

1. High ash content
2. Low sulphur content
3. Low ash fusion temperature

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Ans: “a”

Q.“In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development”. Discuss. (2017)

 

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