The vast potential of renewable energy is failing to be realised in many African countries, in spite of the many pledges made by donors and international financiers. This is not due to a lack of policies supporting investment.

The primary motivation behind this research is the need to accelerate the supply of renewable energy because of the important role that it plays in mitigating climate change and in fostering sustainable development.

While China and India are responsible for the biggest growth in carbon emissions, China is now the largest global investor in renewable energy and India saw the highest growth rate in recent times between 2010 and 2011. This paper looks at what the primary drivers of investment in wind and solar energy in India and China are.