West pressuring India to adopt costly technologies: Sibal

New Delhi, Feb 16 (UNI) Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal today said the western world was putting pressure on India to adopt very expensive clean coal technologies.

''These technologies would be feasible only after 15-20 years,'' Mr Sibal said in his address on the 'Bali Climate Change Summit and its Implications for India' at the plenary session of the 80th AGM of FICCI.

He said the corporate agenda of the developed world was sought to be set for political and economic considerations and not for climate change.

India for the next 20 years would have to depend on coal as the main energy source to sustain a GDP growth rate of 9-10 per cent.

As far as alternative sources of energy were concerned,India had limited options, he said.

''About 70 per cent of our oil is imported, hydroelectricity is not a feasible option in all parts of the country and wind power could account for just 4 per cent of the energy mix.

Nuclear energy is certainly an option but it is not a complete solution,'' he added.

According to Mr Sibal, the answers to India's problems were not going to come from Bali or Copenhagen (UN Climate Change Convention-2009).

Technology, he said, was the only answer to India's energy problems.

Investment in science and technology was essential to make the Indian industry competitive.

''The quicker we respond to the need of technology, the faster our industry can adapt and respond to mitigation measures. Bali is a short-term victory and India's real victory would be an access to clean sources of energy,'' he added.

The greatest victory for India in Bali, he said, was not to allow the rules of the game (structure of the Framework Convention on Climate Change) to change.

UNI YJ Mir BD1605