India, which is successfully pushing its aggressive policy of adding renewable energy to its energy profile, is projected to be on track to achieve its target set under the historic Paris climate change agreement, a top US energy expert has said.

Testifying before a Congressional Committee on Paris Climate Agreement Commitment, energy expert from the World Resource Institute and George Mason University, Andrew Light said that India's aggressive policy on renewable energy is primarily driven by its domestic incentives to keep its greenhouse gas emissions in check.

The most important is that India's air pollution levels have become a domestic crisis. Air pollution caused roughly 1.24 million deaths in India in 2017 alone.&nbsp;

"The WHO estimates that 11 of the 12 cities with the highest levels of particulate matter pollution in the world are in India. India is also seeking to provide electricity to over 30 million homes that are still without power, and ensuring that energy access is reliable for all its citizens," he said.

It also stands to benefit economically from being a leader in the solar energy industry and will achieve greater energy security in the process.&nbsp;

"Because of India pushing forward with this transition, it is projected to be on track to achieve part of its Paris target of 40 per cent non-fossil-based power capacity by 2030," Light told the members of the Environment and Climate Change subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

He said, India is an example of a large developing country that is still industrialising, but increasingly making strides to do so sustainably.

While its total emissions climbed an estimated 6.3 per cent in 2018, most of this growth was in order to provide electricity to people who had previously lacked access to reliable power, Light told the lawmakers.

"India's total emissions remain much lower than those of the US (India makes up 7 per cent of global emissions, while the US accounts for 15 per cent) and its per capita emissions are still very low, at only 2.5 tCO2e per person as of 2014," he said.

The main approach in India for reducing emissions is by pursuing very ambitious targets for the deployment of renewable energy, especially solar power, he said.&nbsp;

For its Paris commitment, India set a goal of 40 per cent electricity generation from non- fossil fuel sources by the year 2030, as well as a reduction in its economy's carbon intensity of 33-35 per cent by 2030, he added.

Light said that even prior to setting their target under Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi established an ambitious target to install 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy, 60 GW of wind power, and an additional 15 GW of biomass and small hydro by the year 2022, creating an estimated 330,000 new jobs in the process.

"The solar target alone is the largest single-sector target of its kind in the world. India energy watchers in the US were skeptical of the feasibility of these targets when they were originally announced, but now India is making excellent progress on delivering these targets, Light said.

Asserting that India's growth in renewable energy over just the last five years has been staggering, he said the costs of renewable energy in India have fallen 50 per cent in the past two years.

Its solar energy capacity increased eightfold from 2014 to 2018 (2.63 GW to 22 GW), and its wind power capacity increased from 21 GW to 34 GW over the same period. This brings its total renewable energy capacity to 70 GW.

"India is performing so well that it is now aiming to reach 227 GW of renewable capacity by 2022 by also adding floating solar and off-shore wind to the package. For context, this is nearly double current US levels of wind and solar capacity. Meanwhile, the number of planned coal plants has plummeted, shrinking by a quarter in the first half of 2018," Light said.

India, which is successfully pushing its aggressive policy of adding renewable energy to its energy profile, is projected to be on track to achieve its target set under the historic Paris climate change agreement, a top US energy expert has said.

India, which is successfully pushing its aggressive policy of adding renewable energy to its energy profile, is projected to be on track to achieve its target set under the historic Paris climate change agreement, a top US energy expert has said. Testifying before a Congressional Committee on Paris Climate Agreement Commitment, energy expert from the World Resource Institute and George Mason University, Andrew Light said that India's aggressive policy on renewable energy is primarily driven by its domestic incentives to keep its greenhouse gas emissions in check. The most important is that India's air pollution levels have become a domestic crisis. Air pollution caused roughly 1.24 million deaths in India in 2017 alone. "The WHO estimates that 11 of the 12 cities with the highest levels of particulate matter pollution in the world are in India. India is also seeking to provide electricity to over 30 million homes that are still without power, and ensuring that energy access is reliable for all its citizens," he said. It also stands to benefit economically from being a leader in the solar energy industry and will achieve greater energy security in the process. "Because of India pushing forward with this transition, it is projected to be on track to achieve part of its Paris target of 40 per cent non-fossil-based power capacity by 2030," Light told the members of the Environment and Climate Change subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He said, India is an example of a large developing country that is still industrialising, but increasingly making strides to do so sustainably. While its total emissions climbed an estimated 6.3 per cent in 2018, most of this growth was in order to provide electricity to people who had previously lacked access to reliable power, Light told the lawmakers. "India's total emissions remain much lower than those of the US (India makes up 7 per cent of global emissions, while the US accounts for 15 per cent) and its per capita emissions are still very low, at only 2.5 tCO2e per person as of 2014," he said. The main approach in India for reducing emissions is by pursuing very ambitious targets for the deployment of renewable energy, especially solar power, he said. For its Paris commitment, India set a goal of 40 per cent electricity generation from non- fossil fuel sources by the year 2030, as well as a reduction in its economy's carbon intensity of 33-35 per cent by 2030, he added. Light said that even prior to setting their target under Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi established an ambitious target to install 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy, 60 GW of wind power, and an additional 15 GW of biomass and small hydro by the year 2022, creating an estimated 330,000 new jobs in the process. "The solar target alone is the largest single-sector target of its kind in the world. India energy watchers in the US were skeptical of the feasibility of these targets when they were originally announced, but now India is making excellent progress on delivering these targets, Light said. Asserting that India's growth in renewable energy over just the last five years has been staggering, he said the costs of renewable energy in India have fallen 50 per cent in the past two years. Its solar energy capacity increased eightfold from 2014 to 2018 (2.63 GW to 22 GW), and its wind power capacity increased from 21 GW to 34 GW over the same period. This brings its total renewable energy capacity to 70 GW. "India is performing so well that it is now aiming to reach 227 GW of renewable capacity by 2022 by also adding floating solar and off-shore wind to the package. For context, this is nearly double current US levels of wind and solar capacity. Meanwhile, the number of planned coal plants has plummeted, shrinking by a quarter in the first half of 2018," Light said.

India projected on track to achieve Paris climate change agreement target: US expert 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday categorically said that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris Climate Accord, adding it is relying heavily on traditional energy sources so that the future generations are able to breathe fresh and live a harmonious life.

&quot;We cannot exploit the nature. When I was in Germany I had said that Paris or no Paris. We have this conviction. We should leave earth for our future generation so that they can live a harmonious life and be able to breathe fresh air,&quot; Prime Minster Modi said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

When his comments were sought on the US decision to withdraw from the climate deal, where President Donald Trump alleged that the agreement gave better deal to the world&#39;s highly polluting countries like India, Prime Minister Modi said, &quot;Don`t think I will take sides on this subject, but would rather take side of our future generation.&quot;

Prime Minister Modi further said that India is a responsible nation and seriously considers climate change a threat. He said large investments are being made in traditional energy sources.

&quot;The exploitation of nature is a crime. Instead of relying on traditional energy sources, we are increasingly relying on renewable energy. We have set 175 GW target,&quot; he said.

Earlier, Trump accused India of extracting &quot;billions and billions and billions&quot; of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord.

&quot;India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid,&quot; he said.

Trump said, according to the Paris Climate deal terms, China will be allowed many coal plants, and India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020, but not the US.

&quot;As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country,&quot; he said in an address in the White House Rose Garden.

He said the US will begin negotiations to re-enter the Paris Agreement on terms that are fair to the United States.

&quot;We will be environmentally friendly, but we`re not going to put our businesses out of work... We`re going to grow rapidly,&quot; Trump said.

(ANI)

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Modi said that India is increasingly relying on the use of renewable energy sources

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday categorically said that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris Climate Accord, adding it is relying heavily on traditional energy sources so that the future generations are able to breathe fresh and live a harmonious life. "We cannot exploit the nature. When I was in Germany I had said that Paris or no Paris. We have this conviction. We should leave earth for our future generation so that they can live a harmonious life and be able to breathe fresh air," Prime Minster Modi said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. When his comments were sought on the US decision to withdraw from the climate deal, where President Donald Trump alleged that the agreement gave better deal to the world's highly polluting countries like India, Prime Minister Modi said, "Don`t think I will take sides on this subject, but would rather take side of our future generation." Prime Minister Modi further said that India is a responsible nation and seriously considers climate change a threat. He said large investments are being made in traditional energy sources. "The exploitation of nature is a crime. Instead of relying on traditional energy sources, we are increasingly relying on renewable energy. We have set 175 GW target," he said. Earlier, Trump accused India of extracting "billions and billions and billions" of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid," he said. Trump said, according to the Paris Climate deal terms, China will be allowed many coal plants, and India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020, but not the US. "As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country," he said in an address in the White House Rose Garden. He said the US will begin negotiations to re-enter the Paris Agreement on terms that are fair to the United States. "We will be environmentally friendly, but we`re not going to put our businesses out of work... We`re going to grow rapidly," Trump said. (ANI)

Prime Minister Modi says India committed to Paris Climate Accord

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India projected on track to achieve Paris climate change agreement target: US expert

Prime Minister Modi says India committed to Paris Climate Accord