24-Sep-2019: New leadership group announced at Climate Action Summit to drive industry transition to low-carbon economy
A new initiative was launched on 23rd September at the UN Climate Action Summit to help guide the world’s heaviest greenhouse gas emitting industries toward the low-carbon economy.
India and Sweden together with Argentina, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea and the UK, as well as a group of companies including Dalmia Cement, DSM, Heathrow Airport, LKAB, Mahindra Group, Royal Schiphol Group, Scania, SpiceJet, SSAB, ThyssenKrupp and Vattenfall, announced a new Leadership Group for Industry Transition that will drive transformation in hard-to-decarbonize and energy-intensive sectors.
This global initiative will be supported by the World Economic Forum, the Energy Transitions Commission, Mission Innovation, Stockholm Environment Institute, and the European Climate Foundation among many others in an ambitious, public-private effort, to ensure heavy industries and mobility companies can find a workable pathway to deliver on the Paris Agreement.
In his statement Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that “each one of us has to discharge climate responsibilities based on our situations and capacities. I hope that work under the industry transition track will facilitate early diffusion of technology and support to developing countries in this journey”.
Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar said that the last two days have seen major takeaways including the decision that heavy industries who are doing their bit on their own, without any external help, have decided to have a low carbon path.
In welcoming this new public-private partnership, Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum said: “There is a huge level of support and enthusiasm in the private sector to engage with governments and peers to reduce emissions across their operations and value chains.
Industry sector emissions, including those from hard-to-abate and energy-intensive sectors like steel, cement, aluminum, aviation and shipping are expected to be responsible for 15.7Gt by 2050. The international collaboration between countries and industry groups is critical to establish workable policy frameworks and incentives, and to enable joint investment into low carbon infrastructure.
About The Climate Action Summit: The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres hosted the Climate Action Summit in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly. The Secretary-General called on all leaders – governments, the private sector, civil society, local authorities and other international organizations – to come with concrete, realistic plans that will boost ambition and rapidly accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement.
Having the key focus on raising ambition and accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement, the Climate Action Summit focuses on nine interdependent tracks, which are led by 19 countries in total and are supported by international organizations.
It is noteworthy to point that India along with Sweden, supported by World Economic Forum is leading the ‘Industry Transition’ track meeting.
23-Sep-2019: PM pledges to more than double India’s renewable energy capacity target to 450 GW
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Climate Action Summit's opening ceremony organized by the UN Secretary General on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Speaking on the occasion, the PM said that this was the first opportunity to address the United Nations, after having received the Champion of the Earth award last year. He said that to overcome a serious challenge like climate change, what we are doing at the moment is just not enough. He called for a global people’s movement to bring about behavioral change.
He said that the respect for nature, the judicious use of resources, reducing our needs and living within our means have all been important aspects of both our traditions and present day efforts. He added that Need not Greed has been our guiding principle. And therefore India today has come not just to talk about the seriousness of this issue, but to present a practical approach and a roadmap. We believe that an ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of preaching.
He pledged that the share of non-fossil fuel will be increased, and by 2022 India’s renewable energy capacity would be increased to much beyond 175 GW, and later till 450 GW. He said that India plans to make the transport sector green through e mobility and considerably increase the proportion of the biofuel blend in petrol and diesel. He added that clean cooking gas has been provided to 150 million families in India.
Shri Modi said that Jal Jeevan mission has been launched for water conservation, rainwater harvesting and for the development of water resources and approximately 50 billion dollars is going to be spent on this in the next few years.
He said that on the International forum, almost 80 countries have joined our International Solar Alliance campaign. India and Sweden together with other partners are launching the Leadership group within the Industry transition track. This initiative will provide a platform for governments and the private sector with opportunities for cooperation in the area of Technology innovation. This will help to develop low carbon pathways for industry.
He said that in order to make our infrastructure disaster resilient, India is launching a Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and invited other Member states to join this coalition. He added that this year on the occasion of India’s Independence Day on 15th August, a people's movement to end the use of single use plastic was called for. He emphasized that the time for talking is over; the world needs to act now.