India’s road to clean energy goes via natural gas

In the midst of arguably the most monumental crisis facing India since Independence, I hesitated to write this article. It did not feel right — in fact, it seemed inconsequential — to write on a subject other than this human tragedy. I decided in the end to meet my commitment by writing about the other subject which, if not today but in years to come, may well be comparably consequential: Climate change. The peg on which I hang this article is a fundamental learning from the pandemic. Broad-brush assurances and claims are no substitute for a carefully structured roadmap.