Introduction

Economic growth the world over has been driven by energy, whether in the form of primary sources (such as
finite resources—for example, coal and oil and gas, or renewables, wood, hydro) or its converted form,
electricity. The pattern of their utilization of inputs for driving various industries has impacted our natural
resources—the air, water, land, forests, and biodiversity. Signs of this impact, in case of India, as also in other
countries, have led to substantial efforts in rethinking our development path. For future growth to be
sustainable, it needs to be resource-efficient and environmentally accountable, requiring a long-term vision
while planning for the immediate and long-term future. This has been the drive for rethinking India’s future.
Vision 2020 exercise undertaken by the Planning Commission, Government of India, is a right step in that
direction.
It is well known that various sectors in the economy such as the agricultural, domestic and commercial
sectors, municipal services, transport services, the mining industry, manufacturing industries, and the power
industry are most heavily dependent on finite resources. They have the maximum impact on the environment.
Apart from dependence on finite resources, most of these sectors are dependent on energy. In this paper we
would restrict our detailed discussion to the power sector, coal, oil and gas, and renewable energy; and discuss
the impact of their development on air, water, land, forest, and biodiversity. The strategy to achieve an
alternative sustainable scenario with respect to the sectors are not discussed in detail but are included in
Annex 1.

Power industry
In India, like in any other country, power consumption is expected to rise with economic growth and
social development. At the same time, high environmental costs in the form of water and air pollution,
soil erosion, deforestation, loss of biological diversity, etc. associated with increased resource
extraction and power generation, pose a threat to ecological security and human health. This section
will investigate ways to achieve sustainable growth in the power industry by 2020.