The burden of combating global warming is no longer restricted to developed countries alone. Developing countries like India and China will have to follow the suit and move swiftly towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy, asserts SP Gon Chaudhary, national coordinator for the all-India coordinated programme on energy and a member of a subcommittee on climate change.

“No doubt the per capita level of carbon emissions for a country like the USA was 21 times that of India and 14 times that of China. However, if one takes into account the population of the courtiers and works out the total emissions, they are no far behind,” Chaudhary, who was in the city in connection with a workshop on fabrication of highly energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) lights told The Tribune in an interview.

The fossil fuel-based energy would have to be phased out with clean energy. The country’s total coal reserves could provide a maximum of 3,00,000 MW electricity, the total hydroelectric potential of the country was 1,50,000 MW, gas-based plants could produce another 50,000 MW, wind and biomass 66,000 MW and the nuclear energy could at best generate about 10 per cent of the requirement. Thus, the main sources of energy could together help generate only about 650,000 MW.

The gap of 1,50,000 MW could be bridged only by harnessing solar energy, Chaudhary said.