5 Feb : Inaugurating an international summit on climate change in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India has already committed itself to a path of sustainable development based on a graduated shift to the extent possible from the use of fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy, including nuclear energy.
Within the ambit of our National Action Plan on Climate Change, India has already unveiled one of the world s most ambitious plans for promoting solar energy, targeting an installed capacity of 20,000 MW by the year 2022, he told the meet being attended by Presidents, Prime Ministers and Energy Ministers of several countries.
“I wish to assure this distinguished gathering that India will spare no effort in contributing to the success of the post-Copenhagen process,” he said at the 10th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.
“We will soon launch an ambitious National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency that will put in place an innovative policy and regulatory regime to unlock the market for energy efficiency, estimated at over 15 billion dollar,” Dr Singh said.
He said the initiative is expected to lead to avoidance of capacity addition of nearly 20,000 MW and reduce carbon dioxide emissions of almost 99 million tonnes.
Backing R K Pachauri, who has come under flak for IPCC’s goof up on melting of Himalayan glaciers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he has earned well deserved respect and international acclaim for his contribution in meeting challenges of climate change.
India has full confidence in the IPCC process and its leadership and will support it, he said inaugurating the 10th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, while noting that, “some aspects of the science that is reflected in the work of IPCC have faced criticism”.
“The Energy Research Insitute, TERI, has, under the able and farsighted leadership of Pachauri earned well-deserved respect and international acclaim for its contributions to the global efforts in meeting the twin challenges of energy security and climate change,” he said.
Pachauri, who has been under attack from various quarters over the IPCC’s 2007 report on Himalayan glaciers, has already ruled out his resignation saying that the mistake was “unfortunate” and he would go ahead to complete the Fifth IPCC Assessment Report.