President Inaugurates Conference on Energy and Environment today

President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated an International Conference and Exhibition on Energy and Environment: Challenges and Opportunities (ENCO 2019) today (February 20, 2019) in New Delhi.  The conference was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.  

On this important occasion, Kovind said that in today’s era of rapid technological advance, energy and environment are major concerns not only for developing countries but also for developed countries. Global trends show that coal will remain the predominant energy source for most countries, including India, while renewable sources will also grow. President said that India is committed to provide power to all citizens at an affordable cost as well as boost the national economy through an industrial revolution in tune with Industry 4.0. He also insisted that the participants of the Conference should come up with a big and good idea on environmental issues related to using fossil fuels and viable alternatives. 

In his speech, honourable President said CSIR is known for its cutting edge R&D in diverse areas and is a globally benchmarked organisation. CSIR covers a wide spectrum of science and technology – from physics, oceanography and earth sciences to genomics and biotechnology, and from nanotechnology to mining, materials and environmental engineering. 

In today’s era of rapid technological advance, energy and environment are major concerns not only for developing countries but also for developed countries. Global trends show that coal will remain the predominant energy source for most countries, including India, while renewable sources will also grow. In this connection, I would like to draw your attention towards India’s commitments in the Paris Agreement, which came into force on October 4, 2016, to protect our planet from global warming and climate change. 

At the Paris Climate Conference India had made a number of commitments expressing our strong desire to control carbon emissions through Nationally Determined Contribution targets. These commitments are: 

1. To lower the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030, below the 2005 levels

2. To increase the share of non-fossil based power generation capacity to 40 per cent of installed electric power capacity by 2030 (equivalent to 26 to 30 per cent of generation in 2030), 

3. To create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

In this backdrop, it was advised to deliberate on the development of eco-friendly technologies for green mining. It is important for producers and consumers of conventional energy to evolve more efficient and cleaner processes to ensure environment-friendly use of natural resources.  In India, the government is committed to providing power to all citizens at the affordable cost as well as boost the national economy through an industrial revolution in tune with Industry 4.0.

The conference will cover important topics such as conventional energy technologies; renewable and nonconventional energy systems; energy storage and devices; sustainable mining technologies; and environmental issues.  

It is very pertinent to note that delegates from India and abroad are participating in this event at a historic convention venue that has witnessed several such international conferences and helped formulate key policies and roadmaps. It is a suitable platform for the international community to disseminate, deliberate and showcase various activities related to energy and environment and discuss research and development opportunities and pathways that could lead to a prosperous, sustainable and secure energy future.  He was confident that after the three days’ deliberations it will be possible for this gathering to come out with practical and doable recommendations that can make our planet not only more industrially advanced but also help in creating healthy ecosystems and environments for future generations.  He wished this international conference a grand success.