Second wave of Covid-19 pandemic clouds renewable energy growth in India

In the pandemic year, while the world battled weakening economy, renewable energy capacity addition across the globe grew by 45 per cent in 2020 over a year before, the highest growth in a decade.
 
Riding on the back of China-led solar power capacity, renewables were the only energy source for which demand increased in 2020, while consumption of all other fuels declined – said International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report.
 
In India, however, the shadow of the pandemic remained on growth of RE power. With the Covid second wave, economic slowdown and continued sick status of power distribution companies, a rebound would be challenging in India. Shreya Jai crunches the forecast provided by IEA and what it means for the world and India in 2021 as nations prepare to show their targets and achivements at the Climate Conference later this year.