Maharashtra’s Climate action plans and Net zero strategies

The state of Maharashtra is one of the highest contributors to the nation’s GHG emission profile, although in terms of emission intensity relative to GDP contribution the state is close below the national average. The state has a large industrial base along with rapid urbanization without planned resource equity driving its energy requirements well above the other states. Through the years, the policy focus towards green transition has come to the forefront, especially in the energy and transportation sector towards mitigating and reducing the emission intensities of the varying associated sectors in the economy. The agriculture sector has also been the focus given the high dependency on rural livelihoods and the comparatively high levels of vulnerability of the agriculture sector to the effects of climate change compared to the other sectors in the economy. The state of Maharashtra is found to be outperforming in the transportation sector relative to other states under the theme of sustainable mobility through EV penetration. In the green energy transition aspect, the state is way behind its peak potential of RE composition in the state energy supply mix and is also, below average compared to the other states. The performance of the state in agricultural climate policy interventions are similar to the other high performing states that have undertaken similar policies towards the introduction of Agro-Photovoltaics (APVs). The state of Maharashtra although unlike other states has taken major initiatives towards biofuel production which are still in the planning phase at this stage but hold great potential in the coming years.
The report offers an overview of three key sectors and policies implemented in the state, accompanied by an initial analysis utilizing E3-India to comprehend the connections between different sectors and the costs and benefits of significant decarbonization measures. The initial work will serve as a model to determine the effects of more ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets as compared to business-as-usual policy commitments.
The forthcoming analysis aims to estimate additional investment and operating costs, GDP/GVA, trade flows, employment, air pollution co-benefits, and other key parameters at the state and sectoral level for various decarbonization trajectories. The objective is to create a comprehensive decarbonization plan that outlines specific priorities and policies for different sectors over a timeframe of 5-15 years, providing a consistent investment environment for corporations by generating demand signals and ensuring coherence across ministries and external stakeholders. For further details please conatct For further details please contact: kakali.mukhopadhyay@mcgill.ca

Authors : Kakali Mukhopadhyay and Surabhi Joshi

Report Version : March 2023