PUNE: “India has showcased real-time climate action by addressing affordability, sustainability, accessibility, and energy security”, said Amitabh Kant, Former CEO of Niti Aayog and G20 Sherpa. He was delivering a keynote address during the suitability talk series organized by the J P Shroff Foundation at Boat Club yesterday. Industrialists like Sanjay Kirloskar, Pradeep Bhargava, Ganesh Natrajan, Ravi Pandit, PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh, and J P Shroff were present on the occasion. The program was supported by the ‘Sustain and Save’ initiative by Ankita and Pranati Shroff.
During his speech, Amitabh Kant said, “Electrification of 30 million households under the Saubhagya scheme, LPG Gas connection to 100 million households under Ujjwala Scheme, and distribution of 367 million LED bulbs as a part of Ujala scheme of the Government has resulted in the saving of 47 Billion KW of energy and has showcased the fact that India can use its scale and size to bring down the cost of procurement. India has successfully done it in solar power by reducing the per unit cost from Rs.24 to Rs.1.99/- and now is the time to do so for green Hydrogen, the cost of which must be brought down to $1 Per Kg from the existing $4.5 per Kg to meet the target set by PM to become an exporter of green energy by drastically reducing the import of fossil fuel by 2047.”
“We have provided a push for electric buses by reducing the cost of ownership. Now under the new urban development scheme Rs.57000/- Cr is allocated for the procurement of new 10000 (ten thousand) electric buses. Over 5500 electric buses were procured earlier for 6 cities. Efforts are underway to make India the manufacturing hub of electric buses not only for India but also for the rest of the world”, Amitabh Kant added.
He opined that going green and digital can help realize the dream of PM Vikasit Bharat by 2047. He advised the business community to take the opportunities that exist in developing sustainable and affordable green solutions. “No economy can progress unless you export and now when you export you have to deal with stringent European and American green norms”, he said.
Amitabh Kant in his speech described five key areas for Indian businesses in the wake of the changing climate that include changing the approach from linear economy to the circular economy and aligning with the global circular economy which has the potential to create 10 million jobs in India. The focus here should be to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Secondly, more focus on skilling for green jobs for new opportunities in the sunrise industry like wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles which have the potential to create 3.4 million jobs. It is been anticipated that by 2047 India will provide over 30% skilled manpower to the rest of the world. So skilling for green is critical. Industry-led outcome-oriented ecosystem needs to be created by increasing the relevance of courses for employment.
Thirdly, managing the short-term transition cost with sustainability as a core business strategy following domestic and global climate-related policies. Fourthly, sustainable investment in agriculture is a necessity as about 48% of our workforce is engaged in agriculture-related work. This is more important because the demand for food is expected to rise by 50% by 2050 and the yield is expected to reduce by 30%. So, modernizing agriculture with a focus on drastic reduction in post-harvest losses is imperative. Lastly, attention should be given to tapping the untapped sustainable logistics sector that contributes to about 14% of GDP which is much higher than the global average of 7-8%. This is a huge cost and a big impact factor on the environment. Development of the Railway network did not gather momentum as the road development. So, corrective measures are required.
In the second part of the program, all the dignitaries present participated in a panel discussion on the topic ‘Economics and Sustainability’. J. P. Shroff briefed the audience about this ‘Speak Sustainability’ initiative and Ankita Shroff Sarda played the anchor for the event. A booklet on Sustainable Life Style Tips by Sustain & Save was released on the occasion by all the dignitaries.
