New Delhi, Apr 22 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that a concrete action was needed to combat climate change wherein there is a need for such action at a high speed, on a large scale, and with a global scope.
Addressing Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change Thursday evening through video conferencing, he said, “We in India, are doing our part and despite the development challenges, India has taken many bold steps on clean energy, energy efficiency, afforestation and bio-diversity and India’s ambitious renewable energy target of 450 Gigawatts by 2030 shows our commitment”.
Thanking US President Biden for taking this initiative, Mr Modi further said that humanity has been battling a global pandemic right now and this event was a timely reminder that the grave threat of climate change has not disappeared.
Noting that the lives and livelihoods of large numbers of population has been facing its adverse consequences, the Prime Minister further said that despite our development challenges, we have taken many bold steps on clean energy, energy efficiency, afforestation and bio-diversity. That is why we are among the few countries whose NDCs are 2-degree-Celsius compatible.
We have also encouraged global initiatives like International Solar Alliance, LeadIT, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, he said.
As a climate-responsible developing country, India welcomes partners to create templates of sustainable development in India. These can also help other developing countries, who need affordable access to green finance and clean technologies, Mr Modi added.
Underlining the need for actions Mr Modi said, “That is why, President Biden and I are launching the “India-US climate and clean energy Agenda 2030 partnership. Together, we will help mobilise investments, demonstrate clean technologies, and enable green collaborations”.
Describing that India’s per capita carbon footprint is 60 percent lower than the global average because its lifestyle which has been still rooted in sustainable traditional practices, the Prime Minister said, “So today, I want to emphasise the importance of lifestyle change in climate action and sustainable lifestyles and a guiding philosophy of ‘Back to Basics’ must be an important pillar of our economic strategy for the post-Covid era.
Recalling the words of the great Indian monk and thinker Swami Vivekananda’s “Arise, awake and stop not until the goal is reached”, he concluded his remarks by saying that “Let us make this a Decade of Action against climate change”.
