SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 13: Climate Action
NITI Aayog | Ministry of Labour & Employment | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Ministry of Jal Shakti
The NITI Aayog report, Scenarios Towards Viksit Bharat and Net Zero - Social Implications of Transition mentions that achieving Net Zero by 2070 requires a careful balance between climate ambitions and the rights of communities dependent on fossil-fuel and land-based resources. Under the transformative Net Zero Scenario (NZS), land requirements for renewable energy will grow seven times by 2070, reaching 5.92 million hectares, which often conflicts with existing rural livelihoods that depend on “wasteland” resources. However, the transition acts as a significant job engine; the energy sector is projected to add 1 million more jobs by 2050 under NZS compared to a business-as-usual path, with additional economy-wide gains of 4.6 million jobs in construction and 5.2 million in trade. This shift also promises immense health co-benefits, as transitioning to clean energy could prevent thousands of premature deaths by addressing air pollution, which cost India 1.36% of its GDP in 2019.
Strategic Pillars for a Socially-Informed Just Transition The report identifies foundational pillars to ensure that India’s green growth is inclusive and resilient:
Resource Management and “Land Neutrality”: To mitigate land-acquisition pressures, the report advocates for land-neutral technologies like agrivoltaics and floating solar, alongside utilizing degraded lands for renewable projects.
Just Transition for Fossil-Fuel Dependencies: Over 150 districts currently depend on fossil-fuel supply chains; a national policy for worker retraining and economic diversification is essential to support these regions.
Climate-Ready Public Health: With over 40% of districts facing high climate risk, integrating climate considerations into health infrastructure and public health standards is critical to protect marginalized populations.
Gender-Responsive Workforce Strategies: Since women are predominantly in the informal and agricultural sectors, transition policies must specifically target their inclusion in clean energy jobs and provide social protection entitlements.
Behavioral Change via Mission LiFE: Leveraging social norms and nudges to shift consumption patterns, the goal is to mobilize one billion citizens toward sustainable lifestyles by 2028.
What are “Socially-Informed” transition strategies? Socially-informed strategies are policy approaches that integrate human-centric data—such as livelihood dependencies, health vulnerabilities, and land rights—into technical energy modeling. Instead of viewing the transition solely through the lens of carbon abatement, these strategies assess the “social cost” of renewable expansion, ensuring that large-scale projects do not displace pastoral communities or exacerbate water stress in hydrologicaly constrained regions. This approach ensures that the “leapfrog” to clean energy also bridges existing socio-economic inequalities.
What is Mission LiFE? Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) is an India-led global mass movement launched in October 2022 to combat climate change by shifting focus from large-scale government policy to individual and community action. The mission aims to nurture a global network of individuals called P3 (Pro-Planet People) who commit to an environmentally conscious lifestyle. It advocates for “Mindful and Deliberate Utilization” instead of “Mindless and Destructive Consumption.” It aims to mobilize at least 1 billion Indians and global citizens to take action between 2022 and 2028 and for at least 80% of all Indian villages and urban local bodies to become environment-friendly by 2028.
Policy Relevance
The NITI Aayog findings represent a transition from technical energy planning to a holistic “Human-Centric” climate roadmap. By institutionalizing the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Social Implications, the Government of India is ensuring that the path to a USD 30 trillion economy does not leave behind the nearly one-third of the population currently tied to the fossil-fuel economy.
Safeguarding Grassroots Livelihoods: Promoting decentralized renewable energy models can reduce land-acquisition conflict and enhance local ownership, ensuring that the “Viksit Bharat” vision benefits rural communities directly.
Scaling Green Skills: Strengthening employer participation in training and developing sector-specific skill roadmaps can bridge the “skill gap” for the 7 million energy jobs projected by 2050.
Reducing National Health Burden: Investments in public transport and cleaner cooking fuels (like LPG under PMUY) directly decrease respiratory infections and heat-related illnesses, potentially saving billions in healthcare costs.
Addressing Water-Energy Conflicts: Recognizing energy use in water allocation policies is vital, especially since 56% of solar installations are currently in water-stressed zones.
Follow the full report here: NITI Aayog: Social Implications of Transition