India will have to invest $834 billion in the two decades ending 2030 to reduce its emission intensity to gross domestic product by 42 per cent over 2007 levels, according to a Planning Commission expert group. According to the final report of the expert group on low carbon strategies for inclusive growth, the massive change in the energy mix by 2030 will result in lower demand of coal at 1,278 million tonnes from estimated 1,568 million tonnes. It has also said the measures would help in reducing demand for crude oil to 330 million tonnes from an estimated 406 million tonnes by 2030.

However, it says that the low carbon emission strategy would increase the consumption of gas in energy mix and its consumption would be increase from 187 bcm to 208 bcm. Under the low carbon energy mix, the installed capacities of wind and solar power need to increase to 118 GW and 110 GW respectively by 2030. According to Kirit Parikh, a former member of the Planning Commission (Energy) and head of the expert group, who released the report here today, the huge investments in low carbon strategy would have little impact on economic growth. He opined that the Indian economy is expected to be growing at a rate of 7.03 per cent per annum till 2030 and with the investment of $834 billion over two decades on low carbon strategy; it would growth at 6.87 per cent every year.

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