Industry Must Work With Govt on Combatting Climate Change: Javadekar

Prakash Javadekar has appealed to key industry leaders to work with the government on combating climate change

 

In tune with our declaration in the Paris Summit, India will reduce it’s emission intensity by 35%, we will have 100GW Solar Power, 175 GW Renewable Energy, by the year 2022. Our actions are 2 degree compliant and we are walking the talk.#climatechange @moefcc pic.twitter.com/PsAnIkQ1ej

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) November 5, 2020

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, while speaking at the CEO Forum on Climate Change, has appealed to key industry leaders from steel, cement, power and pharmaceutical sectors to work with the government in combating climate change and help India achieve the targets set under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Following the appeal by the minister, industry leaders took a pledge to work with the government to tackle climate change and build sustainable economies by adapting measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy. CEOs and top managers of companies, including Reliance Industries Ltd, Tech Mahindra, Dalmia Cement, Ambuja Cement, Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma and Adani Transmission, attended the discussion.

At the virtual event, Javadekar requested the companies to provide their internal roadmaps and targets on a yearly basis to the Environment Ministry and participate in achieving targets set under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

“I appeal and I’m sure factories are reducing emissions and bringing more greenery in campuses. Using new technologies to save water and (increase) energy efficiency is also a concern which you are taking care of. You (CEOs) are the captains. This is a CEOs’ forum. You will give shape to India’s actions,” he said.

About the importance of combating climate change, Javadekar said India was doing well towards achieving its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

“Climate change is a very important issue to be discussed world over and global action is needed on this. Not just one country, but all nations have to work in that direction. So in Paris, we decided to restrict the temperature rise to two degrees by the year 2100. For that, every country, including India, declared their NDCs,” he said.

As part of its NDCs, India has three quantitative climate change goals. These are, reduction in the emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from the 2005 level, achieving about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030 and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

Javadekar said India was walking the talk on climate change and demanded that the required technology should be made available at an affordable cost.

“We are asking world leaders to comply with the Paris Agreement. Our prime minister is passionate about climate change. India’s emission share in the world is only six percent. India is taking care of nature and doing well. We have increased our tree cover, converted vehicles to BS-VI standards, reduced our emissions, prepared land restoration plan besides other actions,” he said.