PM Modi's commitment for net zero emissions based on scientific projection: Harsh Shringla

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while reacting to the commitments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Glasgow, said that India's new target of net zero emissions by 2070, is based on "scientific projection." Notably, PM Modi, during the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow set a target of generating 500 gigawatts of energy from a renewable source of energy.

Shringla said that the projections made by PM Modi were not taken under pressure but based on scientific projection. "The only pressure on him is the pressure of humanity, the pressure of our own future, and I think that is very, very important," Shringla said in a briefing about India's National Statement at the COP26 Summit.

Further, the Foreign Secretary stressed that Prime Minister has taken the pledge at his own will, "not due to pressure from any foreign agencies."

"I think it is also based on scientific projection. If you see the projections about our own Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) that reset in 2015, if you see the rate of our achieving those commitments made in 2015, there is every reason to feel that at that rate of achievement and the levels at which our prime minister has picked our commitments on Monday, 2070 is something that would be doable, and it is a commitment that is based, as I said on science, but also based very specifically on the desire to contribute very significantly to the overall effort on climate change." 

PM Modi's commitment is 'feasible'

According to Shringla, the announcement on net-zero emissions is "very significant for India and the rest of the world." He stressed that India is a developing country and therefore the commitment made by the Prime Minister is "feasible in all sense." The Foreign Secretary also said that the projection would also benefit the poor section of Indian society as the climate commitment would not act as an obstacle for the people working tirelessly to earn their livelihood. 
"Our focus is on bringing billions of our citizens out of poverty. We are working night and day to ease the standard of living in India for our citizens," he said.

"We are constituting 17% of the world's population, yet we contribute only 5% to global emissions. And yet, we are contributing very readily to the entire overall issue of climate change. Because we believe in it, as I say, Prime Minister said it's an article of faith for him and if you see right at the end of his speech, the prime minister says that we are doing it for our future generations," he added.

PM Modi's five 'amrit tatva'

Addressing the UN Climate Conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out the following five 'amrit tatva's' 

• India will take its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030
• India will meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030
• India will reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030
• By 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to less than 45%
• By 2070, India will achieve the target of net-zero emissions

(With inputs from ANI, Image: ANI/Pixabay)