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Centre plans 25 per cent greenhouse gas emission cut by 2020: Minister

India would produce 175 gigawatt electricity through different sources of green energy by 2020, out of which 100 gigawatt would be solar energy.

PATNA: Emission of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming and climate change would be reduced by 20-25% in India by 2020 and 33-35% by 2030, Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Harsh Vardhan said. He also claimed that the Centre has targeted to make contribution of clean energy in total energy production in the country up to 40% by 2030. “Though India’s average greenhouse gas emission is less than one-third of the corresponding global figures, the Narendra Modi government is committed to reducing it by 20-25% by 2020 and 33-35% by 2030. Besides, green energy (electricity produced from non-fossil fuel sources such as wind, solar power and hydropower) will account for 40% of the total energy production in India,” Harsh Vardhan said at the inaugural session of East India Climate Change Conclave organized by the state environment and forests department in Patna. He said India would produce 175 gigawatt electricity through different sources of green energy by 2020, out of which 100 gigawatt would be solar energy. He also reiterated India’s commitments at the Paris Agreement and said the country would potentially achieve the target before the deadline. “Vehicles in India will be upgraded to be compatible with BS (Bharat Stage)-VI fuel by 2020 from BS-IV at present,” Harsh Vardhan said. Sources said India was committed to roll out BS-VI norms by 2023, but it revised the deadline to 2020.

Harsh Vardhan also talked about ‘Green Good Deeds’ initiative of his ministry, which is a small positive action to be performed by individuals to strengthen the cause of environmental protection. The initiative was formally launched by the Union forests minister in January this year. “We observed that despite global conventions and summits and the numerous initiatives being taken by the government, we are unable to tell common people how they can make individual contributions for the cause of environment protection. Accordingly, Green Good Deeds were launched through a mobile app named ‘Dr Harsh Vardhan’. These are over 700 small, positive actions to be performed by individuals or organizations for environment protection,” he said. The minister said the Modi government was committed to eliminating single-use plastic in the country by 2022. He also said over 30 crore energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) street lights had been installed by the central government.

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