Climate change poses threat: Experts

Chandigarh, October 12

Cautioning that India faces immense challenges in its pursuit of adopting clean energy, domain experts, while deliberating upon energy security and climate change at the Young Thinker’s Conference here on Friday, pointed out that climate change would also impact agriculture that required focused and a well thought of means for sustenance.

Stating that two-third of the electricity generated in India comes from coal, Sunjay Joshi, chairman, Observer Research Foundation, said India had to move away from coal to other forms of energy.

Vaibhav Chaturvedi from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, said India was one of the most vulnerable countries for climatic change.

Stressing that climate change would directly affect agriculture, which was at the bottom of the economic pyramid, Ashwini Chhatre, Academic Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, said this would in turn impact all other sectors of the economy.

Ritu Mathur from the Energy and Resources Institute said to ensure clean energy access at mass level, the entire power grid should be de-carbonised.

The conference was organised by the British High Commission and IBS, Mohali. The inaugural address was delivered by Governor of Punjab, VP Singh Badnore.

Kieran Drake, Minister Counsellor and head of the politics at the British High Commission, highlighted the growing Indo-British bilateral relations in the field of trade and tourism as well as defence and aerospace.

Andrew Ayre, British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh, was also present on the occasion. — TNS