Hitting out at “developed nations”, who press on
imposing regulations on the usage of fossil fuels, Union Power and New and
Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh said these nations are responsible for the
poor state of the environment at present and India will not compromise on its
energy needs.
“Those developed nations, who lecture us on imposing
regulatory norms on the usage of fossil fuels today, are responsible for the
poor state of the environment. Around 85 per cent of the carbon dioxide load in
the atmosphere is because of industrialisation which was started by these
developed countries,” said Singh said while speaking to reporters after inaugurating
the Power Ministry Pavilion at the 42nd India International Trade Fair on
Tuesday.
The Power Minister said Bharat’s per capita emissions
are one-third of the world average while those of the developed countries are
three times the world average.
“Bharat contributes to 17 per cent of the world
population, while our contribution to carbon dioxide load is only 3.5 per cent.
Our per capita emissions are one-third of the world average, whereas the
developed countries are three times the world average,” Singh said.
The Power Minister said the developed countries need
to cut down their emissions first.
“It is the developed countries that need to cut down
their emissions first before talking about anything else,” he said.
The Union Minister said Bharat will not be
compromising on its energy needs since the developed nations have prospered by
burning fossil fuels.
“Yes, we are using coal and will continue to do so
because we need electricity. We won’t compromise on the availability of
electricity. You have developed by using fossil fuels. We need to develop now,”
Singh said.
The Power Minister said Bharat needs cement and steel
to construct crores of square meters. However, he said Bharat will develop with
responsibility.
“We have to construct crores of square meters. We need
cement and steel to construct residential places, commercial places and
industries. However, we will develop with responsibility,” he said.
Singh said Bharat has achieved its Nationally
Determined Contributions pledge ahead of its time limit and has further revised
its targets.
“We have pledged in the NDCs (Nationally Determined
Contributions) that by 2030, 40 per cent of our total electricity generation
will be from renewable sources. We have achieved that in 2021 itself,” said the
Power Minister.
“We had said that we will be decreasing our emissions
intensity by one-third by 2030. We achieved that in 2019. In Glasgow, we said
that by 2030 we will decrease our emissions intensity by 45 per cent and by
2030 our total electricity generation capacity will be from renewable energy.
We will achieve that,” Singh added.
ANI
