Policy Roundtable on Green Rating of Thermal Power

April 7, 2015: As part of its policy advocacy to improve the environmental performance of the India’s coal based thermal power sector, the GRP team organized a half day roundtable in Mumbai to engage key stakeholders from the private sector. The meeting included participants from - project financing institutions, advisory firms, credit rating agencies, power companies, EPC contractors, equipment suppliers and eminent researchers working on the sector.

While discussing the findings and recommendations of its two year study of the sector’s environmental performance, the GRP team invited inputs and suggestions from the participants through panel discussions on key areas relevant to the sector. Some of the topics discussed were - market-oriented policies to improve compliance to pollution norms, improving due diligence of environmental risks for financing thermal power projects, cost implications of energy efficient and pollution abatement technologies, feasibility of R&M towards improving environmental performance of old plants and protocols for improving continuous emissions monitoring (CEMs).

In addition to improved pollution norms, private sector stands to play a vital role in addressing key issues associated with the thermal power’s environmental performance and evolving market incentives and mechanisms which would work to support the regulatory framework. The meeting was a first key step by CSE to collaborate with the private sector on developing a comprehensive policy framework for a cleaner coal fired power in India.