The Hindu Business Line : UK counts on India's support to create global awareness

CLIMATE change is at the top of the British Government's global agenda, and India's voice in developing the international consensus for unified action to create global awareness on this subject is being counted upon in a big way.

The challenge is to achieve a sustainable and secure energy future for all in a lower carbon world between now and 2050 through investments in lower carbon energy systems. Science and technology can provide the means to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced without damaging economies.

Highlighting the growing UK-India partnership on climate change at an interactive session on `Climate Change & Renewable Energy', organised by the High Commission here, Mr Mark Runacres, Deputy British High Commissioner, said Indian ministers will be at an Energy and Environmental Ministerial Roundtable in London later this month to discuss the issues involved.

He said the UK was inviting not only the G-8, but also energy and environment ministers from 20 countries with significant energy needs over the next 50 years, along with senior figures from business and key multilateral organisations.

He said the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will have an opportunity to discuss the issues first at the G-8 Summit in Gleneagles in July and with the EU, led by the UK, at the EU-India Summit later this year.

Pointing out that the "democratic argument" against real action to tackle climate change was bogus, Mr Dunacres said, "Even the economic argument does not stand up, as we have done a lot of modelling on this".

He said: "Our modelling suggests that economies like India's need not be significantly impacted by controlling emissions. I fully understand that the key priority for India must be energy accessibility and security".

Mr Dunacres, however, pointed out that in the long and even medium term, India was likely to find growth more sustainable if they focus on clean technologies, renewable energy and energy efficiencies.

Stressing on the urgent need for creating greater awareness globally to climate change and its ill effects, he said it would reduce crop productivity and make water scarcer, impacting not only big business but also some 70 per cent of India's population who live off the land.

New Bengal initiatives: Mr S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, Special Secretary, Power, Government of West Bengal and CEO, West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency, said the State Government has decided to set up a Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship Park in North 24 Parganas, in an area of 24 acres initially. The plan is to create a green umbrella for potential entrepreneurs and also develop the suitable infrastructure.

He said the Government was now examining various renewable sources of energy like wind, rice husk etc., to carry out a massive deep penetration rural electrification programme.

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