India's green programme comes as an article of faith: Piyush Goyal

New York, Apr 22: India's renewable energy programme is not dictated by any external pressure but comes as an article of faith, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said today.

Speaking at the Roundtable on International Solar Alliance-the Trillion Dollar Opportunity, the Minister said the solar alliance is an oppourtunity to serve humanity and those who still have no access to power.

"Our effort for cleaner environment and greener environment comes as an article of faith. It is not something we are doing out of international pressure. It is not something where India is looking at as burden on the people of India, on the economy of India.

"But we are looking at this as an oppourtunity to set right what went wrong in the past, to correct the imbalance in the atmostphere, the way development has taken place over several years," he said.

He said India has launched this initiative as an obligation towards the larger humanity as an article of faith and called upon stakeholders beyond governments to make this initiative a success.

The ISA which comprises 121 countries that lie partially or fully between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is intended to create a platform for larger collaboration for technology, research and development and capacity building.

"This is about improving the quality of life of large number of people who are still grappling with problems of energy and accessibility at affordable prices," the Minister said at the roundtable organised by CII and Terrawatt Initiative under the aegis of International Solar Alliance.

India has set an ambitious target of developing 175 GW renewable power capacities by 2022, including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW wind power projects. The Global Solar Council also committed to creating 25 million jobs in the solar space among the ISA countries.

Similar commitments of dedicating a part of their funding portfolio to renewables was given by GIIC, a federation of pension funds. Under the Indian and French leadership, the International Solar Alliance was launched in Paris.

Terrawatt Initiative said that based on the success of the Indian practice, the ISA aims at scaling up solar energy and at better aggregating and harmonizing the demand across solar rich countries building a common 'buyers' market' for solar rich countries.

In support of ISA plans for generating local employment and spurring economic activities, the Global Solar Council (GSC) said it has set a target of creating 10 million solar jobs by 2030. GSC represents more than 40 national and regional solar associations from both established and emerging markets, and 2,000 companies across the solar chain.

PTI