New Delhi: The “comprehensive and ambitious” pledge to reduce the GHG emission levels will require at least $2.5 trillion (at 2014-15 prices) to meet India’s climate change actions between now and 2030,” minister of state for environment and forests Prakash Javadekar said on Friday, unveiling India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) on Mahatama Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
Making it clear that though India was not a part of the problem (of high global emission levels), Mr Javadekar said the nation definitely wanted to be part of the solution.
But the Indian government also rejected calls to curb the use of coal, saying it was vital to meet the needs of its growing economy, which expanded by seven per cent in the last quarter. The minister said India’s per capita emissions in 2030 would be lower than the current global average of developed nations, which is nine metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
He said this was a 15-year plan and said that the interests of the poor and farmers had been addressed, adding that the INDCs were reached after exhaustive consultations, and that Prime Minister Modi too had given his guidance and innovative ideas.
Mr Javadekar also said India would achieve 40 per cent installed capacity for electric power from non-fossil fuel resources by 2030, which would be a jump of 33 per cent from the present capacity.
Inaugurating a rooftop solar plant at the Khunti court and district collectorate in Jharkhand, Mr Modi said Gandhiji was a big supporter of environmental protection.
“In a way, I have snatched this opportunity (to inaugurate). I decided to come here because October 2 is my inspiration. Mahatma Gandhi is my inspiration,” Mr Modi said.
He said the solar plant was the best tribute to Gandhi, and added: “Bapu fought his entire life to get justice for the poor. On his birth anniversary, a court is being connected with solar energy. This is a very good initiative.”
The environment minister, speaking to the media in New Delhi after releasing the INDCs, said that they were comprehensive, ambitious and progressive and reflected all issues of mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building.
Spelling out the three-way solution, Mr Javadekar said, “We want to reduce our emission intensity by upto 35 per cent by 2030. Second, we will increase our non-fossil fuel-based energy resources.India will also create an carbon sink of 2.5 to three billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.”
