The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for India

The document examines India's adoption of the G-20's 'green growth' framework, which posits that economic growth and environmental sustainability are compatible. While the Indian government integrates this into its Five-Year Plans through technocratic solutions like renewable energy missions and energy efficiency schemes, a counter-discourse argues that such growth continues to marginalize the poor and deplete natural capital. The author highlights a contradiction between India's G-20 alignment and its stance in multilateral climate forums, where it emphasizes historical responsibility and the need for financial support from developed nations.

• India adopted the G-20's 'green growth' concept because it allows the country to pursue economic prosperity and poverty reduction without viewing environmental protection as a costly restraint, aligning with goals in its 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans.
• The Indian government's dominant discourse on green growth relies on market- and science-based strategies, assuming that knowledge and technology can overcome ecological limits to growth. This is exemplified by 12 focused areas for low carbon growth during the 12th planning period (2012–17), including advanced coal technologies and renewable energy missions.
• India has set ambitious targets for renewable energy, aiming for a solar power generation capacity of 20 GW by 2022 and increasing the total share of renewables in electricity generation from approximately 6% in 2012 to 16% by 2030.
• A critical counter-discourse argues that India's economic growth has not been sufficiently inclusive, noting that India's rate of poverty reduction between 1981 and 2001 was lower than that of Brazil or China despite high GDP growth.
• Evidence suggests that India's economic growth has come at the expense of natural wealth and local environmental health; for instance, most Indian cities exceeded national ambient air quality standards for respirable suspended particulate matter between 2000 and 2006.
• There is a significant contradiction between India's G-20 'green growth' narrative and its position in multilateral climate forums, where it argues that developed nations bear the historical responsibility for climate change and must provide substantial financial and technology transfers.
• India expresses concern that transitioning to a green economy could severely impact its GDP; a Ministry of Environment and Forests study suggested a revenue-neutral carbon tax of $10 per tonne of GHG emissions could result in a GDP loss of approximately $632 billion at 2005 prices.
• The author concludes that the 'green growth' paradigm may serve as a technocratic tool for elites to manage environmental conflicts without addressing the underlying social and political inequalities.

APA

Powell, L. (2013). The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for India. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-165.pdf

Chicago

Powell, Lydia. The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for India. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-165.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Powell |first1=Lydia |title=The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for India |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-165.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{powell2013green, author = {Powell, Lydia}, title = {{The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for India}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-165.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }