INDIA GETS SERIOUS ABOUT SOLAR

India’s long awaited National Action Plan on Climate Change calls for building New Energy. At the center of the strategy is solar energy.

Manmohan Singh, Premier, India: "In [National Action Plan], the sun occupies centre stage, as it should, being literally the original source of all energy…"

What Mr. Singh did NOT talk about is any commitment to cutting overall greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions. He emphasized instead per capita GhG emissions.

Western nations have repeatedly sought to seduce India (and China) into agreements to reduce their overall emissions. As India’s enormous population modernizes, it consumes more electricity and drives more cars, adding significantly to the accumulation of GhGs in the atmosphere that causes global climate change.

What Premier Singh seeks is “climate justice.” The west has grown prosperous from generating GhGs for a century-and-a-half. India is willing to do better, to keep its per capita emissions below those of the west, but requires the right to build itself economically and industrially. Climate justice calls for the industrialized West to take more responsibility, to share the secrets of environmentally friendly technologies, provide start-up financing and partner with India in the development of New Energy and energy efficiency programs.

Western diplomats point out these things are India's responsibilities and it is in India’s own interests to do more to cut emissions. South Asia is likely to suffer badly from severe climate change. The Ganges River, water supply to 500 million Indians, could lose 2/3 of its July-to-September flow.

While politicians continue to bicker over fault and responsibility, Indian journalist Govind Singh recalled something Mahatma Ghandi said: “The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of people, but will never have enough to serve their greed”.

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India in solar energy push as climate plan launched
June 30, 2008 (AFP via Yahoo News)
and
PM releases National Action Plan on Climate Change
June 30, 2008 (DailyIndia)
and
National Action Plan on Climate Change Launched: Solar Energy to Change the Face of India
Govind Singh, June 30, 2008 (Eco Worldly)

WHO
India (Manmohan Singh, Premier)

WHAT
- Singh announced India’s long awaited National Action Plan on Climate Change. It calls for building New Energy and emphasizes the control of per capita GhG emissions but does not set an overall limit on or goal for reduction of GhGs.

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WHEN
- Under the terms of the 1997 Kyoto accords, India – as a developing nation – is not required to reduce overall emissions. European leaders want to change that in the agreement that will be developed in 2009 for the next phase of the climate change fight scheduled to start in 2013.
- The National Action Plan sets specific goals for the 2012-13 through 2016-17 periods.

WHERE
India is presently responsible for 4% of world GhGs.

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WHY
- The National Action Plan sets 8 “National Missions”: (1) building solar energy; (2) increasing energy efficiency; (3) sustainable habitat; (4) water conservation; (5) sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem; (6) building a “green” India; (7) developing sustainable agriculture; (8) building knowledge about climate change.
- The Plan points out that with the nation’s exceptional insolation, 1% of the land can meet all of the nation’s electricity needs through 2030.
- The Plan calls for the development of 1000 megawatts of solar power plant capacity by 2017 and the installation of 1000 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity a year in the same time period.
- While the Plan emphasizes the development of solar energy, it also calls for developing “non fossil options such as nuclear energy, wind energy and biomass.”
- The plan estimates India’s industrial sector could cut its emissions 16% by 2031.
- It sees big opportunity for India in power generation from municipal waste.

QUOTES
- Manmohan Singh, Premier, India: "We must pioneer a graduated shift from economic activity based on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from reliance on non-renewable... to renewable sources of energy…"