Union power and new and renewable energy minister RK Singh said on Nov 14 that it is the developed countries who need to cut down their emissions first in the fight against climate change. 

Explaining India’s position in the wake of the upcoming COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023 (UNFCCC), the minister said: “The developed countries used fossil fuels for developing their economies but they want to tell us that we should not use coal.”

 “Around 85% of the carbon dioxide load in the atmosphere is due to the path of industrialisation followed by developed countries. India’s population is 17% of world population while our contribution to carbon dioxide load is only 3.5%. Even now, our per capita emissions are one third of world average, while that of developed countries is three times the world average,” Singh told journalists after inaugurating the power ministry’s pavilion at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) in Pragati Maidan.

The minister emphasised that India is not going to make any compromise on the electricity needs for a growing economy.

“We need to develop. At the same time, we will do that responsibly. We were nine years ahead in achieving the nationally determined contributions (NDC) target of having 40% of installed power capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030. We pledged at COP-21 in 2015, that we will reduce our emissions intensity by 33% by 2030; we did this by 2019. So, in Glasgow, we have said that by 2030, we will have 50% of our capacity coming from renewables and that we will reduce our emission intensity by 45%. We will achieve it. So, we are on target,” Singh said.

He added that India is adding renewable energy capacity at the fastest rate in the world.

The minister said that the power pavilion at IITF showcases the initiatives and transformation brought by the government in the power sector.

“We have transformed the sector, adding around 1.9 lakh MW power capacity during the last nine years. The entire country has been joined under one national grid. The distribution system has been strengthened, with an investment of ₹2.1 lakh crores,” he added.

(Source: IANS)

-Edited for style

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on Instagram | YouTube | Facebook