India can play 'heroic' role at Paris talks: Greenpeace

Asserting that India can play a "heroic" role at the Paris climate talks, Greenpeace today rejected the portrayal of India as a possible "spoiler" in the negotiations and said India is paying a price for climate change which it is not responsible for.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Greenpeace InternationalExecutive DirectorKumi Naidoo also expressed sympathy with those affected by the floods in Chennai.
"Climate change was not made in India, but the price is being paid in India. Could the grounds for a solution now be laid by India? Greenpeaceand civil society stands with India in demanding accountability from the major polluters. We recognise that richer countries are still not doing enough.

"But if India moves, in the process forcing richer countries to move too, then it will not just be campaigners like me who will be grateful, but billions of people not yet born," he said.
Naidoo also urged Modi to consider the plight of the most vulnerable people in India and around the world, by embracing a long-term goal of 100 per cent renewable energy access for all by 2050 which he termed as the best way of keeping global temperature rises to below 1.5 C - which the most vulnerable countries have called for.
"I write to you from Paris to express my solidarity as India faces devastating floods in Chennai. I am an African, but my ancestors hailed from the region that is suffering. My thoughts - and the thoughts of the organisation I lead - are with the victims. Those responsible for the humanitarian response face great challenges. We wish them success,"he said.

He saidIndia is not historically responsible for the problem of climate change and India's contribution to the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere from burning oil, coal and gas is comparatively small while the same can be said for Africa.

"We recognise that richer countries are still not doing enough. But if India moves, in the process forcing richer countries to move too, then it will not just be campaigners like me who will be grateful to you, but billions of people not yet born," he said.
Noting that there is a debate in Paris about whether the cap on warming should be set at 1.5 or 2 degrees and whether to set a target of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050 he urged Modi to consider the plight of the most vulnerable people in India and around the world, and embrace that long-term goal of 100 per cent renewable energy access for all by 2050.

"I see the potential for India to play an heroic role at these talks. India can be a leader in the coming renewable energy revolution. India can generate millions of new jobs in the clean energy sector - ensuring a just transition from dirty energy jobs to clean energy jobs, so that workers in the fossil fuel sector are not punished.
"India can take the millions of people who are energy poor out of energy poverty much faster by relying on new technologies instead of yesterday's fuel sources.
"We acknowledge and congratulate India on the targets set for renewable energy (especially solar and wind) until 2022. Indeed, we've seen the potential in solar and decentralised renewable energy models, in our involvement with a solar energy project in Dharnai, a village in Bihar," he said.

Talking about Solar Alliance he said that the NGOshare Modi's vision of bringing progress to millions of people via decentralised renewable energy and wished Solar Alliance success so that it can bring a "sunrise of new hope as was told by Modi not just for clean energy but for villages and homes still in darkness".