New Delhi: If IPCC chief R K Pachauri remained under attack for the better part of last month,his reputation was more than resurrected in the last two days,with government heads and leaders from across the world voicing their support for the man and his organisation.
With help pouring in from all quarters,it was,in fact,the climate change debate that benefited.Attending the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2010,ministers from across the world spoke about the necessity of creating a new energy future,where the role of renewable energy was highlighted.Government representatives from UAE,Japan,Czech Republic,Australia,France and Belgium talked about individual targets,while emphasising the urgency to shift to new energy sources.
It was also widely accepted that for developing countries like India,the main challenges in promoting renewable energy were in gaining access to long-term finance at low interest rates,promotion of research and development,and building necessary human resources.Union minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah said,Economic barriers and governance issues restrict the uptake of renewable energy and need to be addressed. Ministers also accepted that renewable sources of energy continue to be fragmented and most countries did not have favourable policies for promoting alternate energy sources.
Emphasising that there was a need to und e r s t a n d that energy markets are changing,leaders also c o n c e d e d that it is necessary to ensure the seamless transition to cleaner fuels.The world is on the verge of a new industrial revolution,courtesy an increased renewable energy use.The economic opportunities that emerge from this are immense, said Paul Magnette,Belgian minister for climate and energy.Adding that the transition to a clean technology society cannot be led by a single country,Abdullah added that all countries need to work together in developing practical technologies.
Drawing attention to the importance of funds to provide an impetus to renewable ene r g y s o u rc e s,K a n d e h Yumkella,director-general,United Nations Industrial Development Organisation,Austria,said,Local capacity building is crucial for making technology accessible universally .... We must remember that resource efficiency,water optimisation and renewable energy go hand-in-hand.
