There will be no compromise on electric supply – AK Sharma
New Delhi: Energy Minister AK Sharma said that per capita emissions in India are one-third of the world average while emissions in developed countries are three times the world average.
About 85 percent of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is due to industrialization adopted by developed countries. India’s population is 17 percent of the world population while our contribution to the carbon dioxide load is only 3.5 percent but developed countries want to tell us that we should not use coal.
Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh said this while addressing the media after the inauguration of the Power Pavilion set up by the Ministry of Power, Government of India at the ongoing India International Trade Fair 2023 at Pragati Maidan. The Union Minister said that developed countries first need to cut their emissions. India will not compromise with the power needs of the growing economy, rather we will grow responsibly. Electricity Secretary Pankaj Aggarwal was also present on this occasion.
Moving towards achieving the goal
The Union Minister said we are nine years ahead in achieving the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of 40 per cent installed power capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030. We pledged at COP-21 in 2015 that we would reduce our emissions. We have increased it to 33 percent by 2019. So we have said in Glasgow that by 2030 50 per cent of our capacity will come from renewable energy and we will reduce our emissions intensity by 45 per cent. We will achieve this, so we are on target.
The Minister said that we have transformed the sector by adding about 1.9 lakh MW power capacity during the last nine years. The entire country is connected under one national grid. The distribution system has been strengthened with investment. 2.1 lakh crore. Electricity availability is now 21 hours in rural areas and 23.5 hours in urban areas. We have provided electricity to every house. India is adding renewable energy capacity at the fastest pace in the world.
