India s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched in Paris an alliance of 121 sun-drenched countries, rich and poor, to dramatically boost the use of solar power.
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French President Francois Hollande, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, upon his arrival for the opening of the United Nations conference on climate change COP21, at Le Bourget, on the outskirts of the French capital Paris, on Monday.
“The solar alliance will be a very effective means of enhancing the deployment of solar energy in most solar resource rich countries of the world”, Mathur who is also the director general of Bureau of Energy Efficiency said.
At another event on innovation also attended by President Hollande, US President Barack Obama and Bill Gates, among others, Modi said it was imperative to make renewable energy much cheaper and more reliable, and the conventional sources cleaner, while developing newer sources that are green. Post which PM Modi had meeting with numerous world leaders on the sidelines of the COP 21 Summit.
The two leaders discussed the urgent threat posed by climate change and reaffirmed their commitment to a successful agreement in Paris. “Yet, we face its consequences today, and that is why the outcome in Paris is so important”, he said.
“We hope advanced nations will assume ambitious targets and pursue them sincerely”.
According to The Guardian, Modi described the solar alliance as “the sunrise of new hope, not just for clean energy but for villages and homes still in darkness, for mornings and evening filled with a clear view of the glory of the sun”. “But we must also lead in combating climate change”.
Since then, fast-growing China and India have become the world’s No. 1 and four carbon emitters, however, and other erstwhile “developing” countries have scaled the economic ladder.
India’s national plan, submitted to the United Nations as its contribution to tackling climate change, focuses on solar, saying it is expected to grow significantly. The Prime Minister has initiated talks that are a good thing.
Welcoming Modi’s speech, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Modi articulated the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) in terms of carbon space for the first time and has set the tone for the negotiations.
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Still, India, he said, will take significant steps to reduce emissions by 35 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030 and only 40 per cent of our installed capacity will be fossil fuels.
