Greenpeace proposes Sustainable Energy Outlook for India to PM

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) Global environment NGO Greenpeace today presented its report proposing a sustainable energy outlook for the country to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence here.

''We are happy to see the Prime Minister is very concerned about climate change and is looking for solutions. Dr Singh agreed that energy efficiency should be a national priority and that it will be important to consider immediate steps towards energy efficiency like phasing out the bulb in India,'' Greenpeace India Executive Director G Ananthapadmanabhan said after the meeting.

The report, 'Energy Revolution: A sustainable Energy Outlook for India', provides a practical blueprint for stabilising India's carbon emissions at current levels while providing the same amount of energy as projected by the Ministry of Power.

According to the report, renewable energy combined with efficiencies from the 'smart use' of energy, could deliver half of India's primary energy needs by 2050.

In another meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit earlier today, Greenpeace India Climate and Energy Campaigner K Srinivas said the Chief Minister was committed to energy efficiency and was clearly supportive of the initiative.

She agreed that the bulb was a hazardous product and added that her government would actively consider banning the bulb. She also promised to take up the matter with the central government.

Greenpeace would launch a countrywide campaign to seek legislative measures to phase out the incandescent light bulb in the coming week. The campaign would seek to establish the first step in energy efficiency in India by banning usage of inefficient lighting and ushering in a shift towards energy efficiency by the large-scale adoption of CFLs.

''We hope the Indian government and the Delhi government will act swiftly to ban the bulb,'' Mr Ananthapadmanabhan added.

UNI