Question : Clearance to Coal Based Power Plants

(a) whether the Government has given clearance for setting-up of only one coal-based power plant in 2021honouring Paris Agreement duly reflecting country’s commitment for use of cleaner energy sources and ‘net-zero’ emission goal through decarbonisation its economy;
(b)if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of approvals given to coal-basedpower plants in the country during the last three years and the current year; and
(d) whether the Government is committed todiscouraging coal-based power plants in future?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (d) The Thermal Power Projects including coal based power projects are considered for grant of Environmental Clearance as per the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, as amended. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement (PA) which provide a global framework for countries to collectively address climate change. Two of India’s 8 Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs) refer to decreasing the emissions intensity of GDP and to increasing the proportion of non-fossil fuel sources in cumulative installed electric capacity in the country. Overall, India is committed to a low-carbon path of development and will continue such efforts as part of its development, as has been enunciated under the “Panchamrita” announcements made at 26th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in November, 2021 by Hon’ble P.M. which inter alia lays down that India''s non-fossil energy capacity to reach 500 GW by 2030, meeting 50 per cent of the country’s energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030, reducing projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030, reducing the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 per cent by 2030, over 2005 levels, and achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.

The Ministry has granted Environmental Clearance to total 10 Coal based Thermal Power Projects at central level during last three years including current year, the details are at Annexure.
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MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (d) The Thermal Power Projects including coal based power projects are considered for grant of Environmental Clearance as per the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, as amended. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement (PA) which provide a global framework for countries to collectively address climate change. Two of India’s 8 Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs) refer to decreasing the emissions intensity of GDP and to increasing the proportion of non-fossil fuel sources in cumulative installed electric capacity in the country. Overall, India is committed to a low-carbon path of development and will continue such efforts as part of its development, as has been enunciated under the “Panchamrita” announcements made at 26th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in November, 2021 by Hon’ble P.M. which inter alia lays down that India''s non-fossil energy capacity to reach 500 GW by 2030, meeting 50 per cent of the country’s energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030, reducing projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030, reducing the carbon intensity of the economy by 45 per cent by 2030, over 2005 levels, and achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070.

The Ministry has granted Environmental Clearance to total 10 Coal based Thermal Power Projects at central level during last three years including current year, the details are at Annexure.
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