Achieved target of producing energy via non-fossil fuel sources: Singh

Union minister R K Singh on Friday said that India has achieved its target of producing 43.6 per cent of its total energy through non-fossil fuel sources nine years ahead of the schedule. The Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy was addressing the opening session of the G20 14th Clean Energy Ministerial meeting and 8th Mission Innovation meeting in Goa. "India has already achieved the target of producing 43.6 per cent of its total energy through non-fossil fuel sources.

The country has achieved nine years ahead of its schedule of 2030," he said.

India's installed electricity capacity through non-fossil fuel sources is 183 gigawatts (GW), out of the total capacity of 421 GW. "We have 88 GW under installation and 55 GW tendered out. If you take the capacity which is installed and under installation, that comes to about 270 GW, which is well above 50 per cent of our service capacity," he said. Singh said that India will add 50 GW every year.

The minister said that the world has already surpassed the challenge of climate change sceptics.

"Those who said that there is nothing called global warming and it is all myth propagated by developed countries. Now, nobody says that because the effect of climate change is there for all of us to see," he said. "We see the raging wildfires, increase in temperatures. Nobody has any doubt that climate change is real," he added. Singh pointed out that India has the lowest per capita carbon emission in the world.

"Our emission is 2.29 tonnes per capita per year. The global average is about 6.3 tonnes. The reason for that, partly, is the cultural factor," the minister said.

Singh said that India venerates simplicity. "Our simple lifestyles are looked up to. Mahatma Gandhi adopted a dress which actually this country venerates, that is simplicity," he said.

"I am in politics. I can tell you that if I am showy, flashy, I will lose votes. Simplicity gains votes. Straightforwardness gets me votes," he said.

The minister said that India is "very bullish and firm" on issues pertaining to the environment. "Our environmental laws are strict. If you plant a tree on your own land, you can't cut it without permission, he added. Talking about the Union government's programmes, he said, "We have a programme for the industry that has resulted in emission reduction of 105 million tonnes of Carbon dioxide. We have Ujala programme reduction in 100 MT per annum of CO2." "The star-rated appliances programne has resulted in emission reduction of 57 MT per annum...There is total emission reduction of 278 MT per tonnes that is besides the renewable," he said.

The minister praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the measures taken by his government for environment protection.