According to Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, U.S. is responsible for climate change which emits highest 30 per cent carbon in the atmosphere whereas India’s share is just 3 per cent. Although India is not majorly responsible for climate change, MrJavadekar said that the government has decided to help in reducing the effects of the environmental problem and through planned afforestation drives.
Speaking with select mediapersons, MrJavadekar said, the temperature of the earth has increased by 0.8 per cent since 1880, the year of beginning of the industrial revolution in western countries, till this year.
“The problem of climate change has been initiated by developed countries and developing countries are paying for it,” said MrJavadekar. He further said that at 30 per cent, U.S. emits the highest amount of carbon followed by 50 per cent by other developed countries. China emits 10 per cent and India shares a mere 3 per cent in carbon emission, he added.
India has set a target to reduce radio or carbon emission by 20 per cent till 2020 and 35 per cent by 2030 MrJavadekar said, adding that this would mean India would reduce its radio emission by 75 per cent at the end of 2030.
The forest and environment department has set a target to increase the land cover by forest through systematic afforestation drives.
The minister said, “We have taken the initiative to implement a number of programmes like green India mission, green highways policy, financial incentive for forest, plantation along rivers and institute compensatory afforestation fund management and planning authority.
He also said, “40 per cent people are dependent on forest wood for cooking food across the country. We have set a target to reduce it to 4 per cent by 2030.”
India’s share of non-fossil fuel in the total installed capacity is projected to change from existing 30 per cent to about 40 per cent by 2030. India is running one of the largest renewable capacity expansion programmes in the world. Between 2002 and 2015, the share of renewable grid capacity has increased over six times, from two per cent (3.9GW) to around 13 per cent (36GW) from a mix sources including solar, wind, small hydro and biomass cogeneration.
MrJavadekar said PM Narendra Modi has set target to achieve power generation capacity of 1.75 lakh MW in next seven years. “Out of which one lakh MW power will be generated through solar energy, 60,000 MW from wind mills, 10,000 MW from biogas and 5,000 MW from small hydro power projects,” he said.
The minister further added, “We will achieve an increased share of upto 40 per cent of power generation from non-fossil sources by 2030.”
