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The governance of clean energy in India: The clean development mechanism (CDM) and domestic energy politics

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  • Phillips, Jon
  • Newell, Peter

Abstract

This paper explores the ways in which clean energy is being governed in India. It does so in order to improve our understanding of the potential and limitations of carbon finance in supporting lower carbon energy transitions, and to strengthen our appreciation of the role of politics in enabling or frustrating such endeavors. In particular we emphasize the importance of politics and the nature of India's political economy in understanding the development of energy sources and technologies defined as ‘clean’ both by the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and leading international actors. By considering the broad range of institutions that exert formal and informal political influence over how the benefits and costs of the CDM are distributed, the paper highlights shortcomings in the narrow way in which CDM governance has been conceptualized to date. This approach goes beyond analysis of technocratic aspects of governance – often reduced to a set of institutional design issues – in order to appreciate the political nature of the trade-offs that characterize debates about India's energy future and the relations of power which will determine how, and on whose terms, they are resolved.

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  • Phillips, Jon & Newell, Peter, 2013. "The governance of clean energy in India: The clean development mechanism (CDM) and domestic energy politics," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 654-662.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:59:y:2013:i:c:p:654-662
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.04.019
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Benites-Lazaro, L.L. & Mello-Théry, N.A., 2019. "Empowering communities? Local stakeholders’ participation in the Clean Development Mechanism in Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 254-266.
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    7. Sawhney, Aparna & Rahul, M., 2014. "Examining the regional pattern of renewable energy CDM power projects in India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 240-247.
    8. Kar, Sanjay Kumar & Sharma, Atul & Roy, Biswajit, 2016. "Solar energy market developments in India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 121-133.
    9. Mandaloufas, Melissa & Lamas, Wendell de Queiroz & Brown, Scott & Irizarry Quintero, Anamari, 2015. "Energy balance analysis of the Brazilian alcohol for flex fuel production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 403-414.
    10. Sandrine Mathy, 2013. "Le positionnement de l'Inde sur le changement climatique," Working Papers halshs-00995050, HAL.
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