Global Wind Day is annually observed on 15th June across the world to raise awareness regarding the importance of wind as a Renewable source of energy, its power and the possibilities it holds to reshape our energy systems, decarbonise our economies and boost jobs and growth.
- The day also promotes clean air, and can help people to strive for a greener planet.
- The Global Wind Day also known as World Wind Day is annually organised by WindEurope (European Wind Energy Association- EWEA) and Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
Background:
i. The Global Wind Day originated in Europe in 2007 as “Wind Day”, a pan- European campaign to promote the importance of clean wind energy, organised by the EWEA.
ii. In 2009, EWEA teamed up with GWEC and turned it into a global event and the objective behind it was to encourage people across the world to make the most out of wind Energy.
Significance of Global Wind Day:
i. It promotes the use of wind energy and encourages people to support the development of wind farms and showcases the progress that has been made in wind energy development like increasing size and efficiency of wind turbines.
ii. It also encourages action on climate change by highlighting the potential of wind energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Benefits of Wind energy:
- It is one of the most cost-effective sources of energy.
- Wind energy is not dependent upon fossil fuels or coal, making it a clean energy source.
- It is a sustainable source of energy that will never run out.
- Wind energy also creates jobs.
India in Global Wind Day 2023:
i. The Wind Independent Power Producers Association (WIPPA), with support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), is organising two significant industry events:
- Global Wind Day Conference-2023 on 15th June 2023 in Pune, Maharashtra
- Global Wind Day run on 18th June 2023 in New Delhi, Delhi
ii. The attempt is to highlight MNRE’s and WIPPA’s role in reviving India’s wind sector and increase its general awareness and visibility, as a result adding to the call for faster progress in the wind sector.
Additional Info:
i. The Government of India has set a target of achieving 500 Gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil fuel based electric power capacity to be commissioned by 2030.
ii. As per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA)’s report on Optimal Generation Capacity Mix for 2029-30, a cumulative capacity of 14 GW is estimated to be added from Wind Energy.
iii. As of 30th April 2023, the total installed wind power capacity of India was 42.868 Gigawatts (GW).
iv. In the 2023 Global Wind Power Generation, India ranked 5th, with the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America (USA), Germany and Brazil occupying the first 4 positions.
About Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC):
Established in– 2005
Chairman– Jonathan Cole
CEO– Ben Backwell
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
