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Greenpeace official: China, India are facing up to a climate-challenged world

NEW DELHI: “China and India are taking action to address the challenge of developing their economies and people’s futures in a climate-challenged world. It is time for some developed countries to stop using China and India as the excuses for their own inaction and get down to business as time is running out for the planet,” Ailun Yang, Greenpeace Climate Campaign Manager from China, said here on Wednesday.

She made this remark at a press conference organised by Greenpeace on India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Welcoming the Action Plan, K. Srinivas, Greenpeace Policy Advisor, said the Solar Mission and Renewable Energy programmes showed foresight in energy planning and an intention to capitalise on the solar potential in the country.

With the indicated targets of 15 per cent of renewable energy on the grid by 2020, India will be looking at approximately 42 GW from renewables as per the current Plan, which is comparable with 49 GW that Greenpeace called for in the energy revolution scenario for India in early 2006.

“However, the key to developing a low-carbon pathway is dependent on how much coal we can reduce in our energy mix. This can be achieved only if, in addition to expanding renewables, we also achieve clear “savings” or “efficiency targets,” Mr. Srinivas said.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has said that the Action Plan on Climate Change will provide an impetus to hitherto untapped segments such as solar energy.

“Facilitation of an internal market-based mechanism for energy efficiency across industrial sectors is a welcome move, and will be a great energy saver,” Harsh Pati Singhania, senior vice president of FICCI, said in a statement issued here.

The Action Plan approach shows the enhancement in the scope of climate change action at the national level, he said adding that the plan was comprehensive and covered the broad spectrum of areas that were significant in terms of climate change mitigation as well as adaptation, and private-public partnership in the sector.

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