It has a great potential for using its renewable energy resources: U.K. Minister

Stating that India has a huge potential in tapping its renewable energy, U.K. Minister of Department of Energy and Climate Change Baroness Sandip Verma said that India should invest more in green sector.

“Unlike in the U.K., India has a great potential for using its renewable energy resources. While in the U.K., we are still relying on nuclear and coal for our power resources, we are trying to do away with coal. India and the U.K. share a lot of similarities and I think India should consider options of investing in green sector,” Ms. Verma said.

She was participating in an interactive session on ‘India-UK initiatives on climate change’. Vice president of MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arun Kumar Saraf was present.

Observing that India should learn from Bhutan in using clean energy, Amar Singh, Rajya Sabha MP, said there are a lot of untapped clean energy sources in Arunachal Pradesh.

Stressing on the need to uniform rule in banning constructions near river banks, Mr. Singh said after the flash floods in Uttarakhand [June 2013], there was a sweeping ban on constructions along river banks in the State so that future disasters could be avoided. “Why wasn’t there a similar ban in States like Himanchal Pradesh?” Mr. Singh asked.

“There is a huge scope in India and the U.K. to use low-carbon approaches not only to fight climate change but to deliver energy security, economic growth, and inclusive development. Although on a per capita basis, India’s carbon emissions remain a small fraction of those of developed countries, the country’s rapid economic growth has brought with it higher emissions,” Mr. Saraf said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kolkata / by Staff Reporter / Kolkata – July 06th, 2014