Greenpeace India Sends its Green Recovery Plan for India to NITI Aayog

Greenpeace India has sent to NITI Aayog a plan to help build a climate-proof, equal, sustainable and resilient India as it emerges from the COVID-19.

Environment think tank Greenpeace India recently sent to the government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog a plan to help build a climate-proof, equal, sustainable and resilient India as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. In its recommendations to the government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog, Greenpeace India stressed the need to promote a decentralised model of renewable energy which will not only help to get universal energy access but it can also help mitigate climate crisis by replacing fossil fuel-based energy production.

“The government needs to support rooftop solar and other forms of decentralized renewable energy solutions that reduce the demand for coal-based electricity. Moving our energy generation sector from fossil fuels to renewables will help to prevent premature deaths and vast savings in health costs. Provide support to clean technology businesses affected by the crisis to help them sustain and grow,” it stated.

Binu Jacob, Executive Director at Greenpeace India, said, “Green recovery would promote a sustainable and just society better than return-to-normal stimulus measures. NITI Aayog has advocated for sustainable development goals in the past, we are hopeful that the think tank body would seriously consider the green recommendations endorsed by citizens of the country.”

The recommendations also called for promotion and increase in demand for electric vehicles, stating that as it will take some time to remove the fear of using public transport amongst people, who would prefer using their own vehicles, this is an opportunity to promote e-bikes and e-scooters.

“These recommendations reflect collective hope and confidence that the government will consider these areas seriously to turn this crisis into an opportunity and set the direction firmly towards building a climate-proof, equal, sustainable and resilient India as we emerge from this pandemic,” the think tank stated.

“Due to COVID-19, socially and economically marginalised people are the worst hit by the economic slowdown and most of them can’t afford the expensive mode of transportation. Public transport is a vehicle for mobility justice and public welfare at large. Therefore, once COVID safety measures are fully in place, public transport should be made free for all. This will help us to discourage the use of personal automobiles,” the NGO said.

Greenpeace India also expressed its desire to engage with the NITI Aayog as and when they require more research and development of the ideas mentioned in the green recommendations. “Greenpeace looks up to policymakers to drive these recommendations into concrete policies,” it said in the statement.