Under PM Modi’s leadership, India setting standard in tackling climate change: Ashwini Choubey

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Tuesday said under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is setting the standard in tackling climate change.

“Participated in the National Climate Conclave 2023 organised in Lucknow today,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

In another tweet, the Union minister said, “By 2070, India will achieve the goal of ‘Net Zero’ (emissions). UP’s minister Arun Kumar Saxena and Speaker of UP Legislative Assembly Satish Mahana were also present.” He added that the government was working towards realising the five-point agenda or Panchamrit.

An air quality monitoring vehicle was also flagged off, Choubey said.

At the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2021, Modi had announced that India’s non-fossil energy capacity will reach 500 gigawatt (GW) by 2030.

He had also said that India would fulfil 50 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030 and reduce its total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by that year.

India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent over 2005 levels, and achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2070, Modi had said.

Modi had presented this five-point agenda, terming it the ‘Panchamrit’.

At a session held on media at the programme on Monday, senior officials of the ministry said communication can play a key role in countering climate change.

Moderating the session, chairman of the Lucknow chapter of the Indo American Chambers of Commerce (IACC) Mukesh Singh said, “Media can report and educate people about certain forces and activities that adversely affect our environment.” Additional chief secretary Manoj Singh gave an overall perspective on the role of media in climate sensitisation towards mitigation of the impact of climate change.

The session was organised by the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in collaboration with the information department of Uttar Pradesh and the IACC Lucknow chapter, Mukesh Singh said in a statement here.