India making continuous efforts to develop clean energy: Harsh Vardhan

Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Monday said that India has continuously taken initiatives and shown leadership qualities for developing clean energy and counter climate change. "India has continuously taken initiatives and shown leadership qualities for working towards clean energy. We have developed an incubator in Delhi which will help in clean energy testing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has even formed an international solar alliance which is the big leap in clean energy initiative," said Vardhan.

'PM Modi had stressed on creation of clean energy'

The Union Minister for  Science & Technology and Earth Sciences added that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi in COP21 conducted in Paris in 2015, had stressed on the creation of clean energy to counter climatic change. He took an initiative, 'mission innovation' to bring all the countries together and conduct research to develop the sources of clean energy and work towards utilising non-fossil fuels and save the world from the consequences of climate change."

'We have promised that India will exceed towards electric mobility'

Harsh Vardhan further stated that India has invested in around eight areas involving biofuels, smart grids and other related subjects. "I am happy to say that today 24 nations across the country along with the European Commission are together carrying out research regarding clean energy," said Vardhan. "India has promised in front of the entire world that it will fulfil its rationally determined contributions, on time. We have promised that India will exceed towards electric mobility, it will produce 175 GW of clean energy," he added.

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India is halfway towards its renewable energy target of 175GW

In September, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar addressed the audience at the 14th Conference of Parties (COP 14) Summit held in Greater Noida and reported that India has already reached half of its target of 175 GW for the production of renewable energy. The plan of the government is to achieve a renewable energy capacity of 175 GW by the year 2022 as part of its climate commitments. While discussing the progress so far, Javadekar shared that India was halfway there with around 80 gigawatts of renewable energy. "The world did not believe it when we announced our renewable energy target of 175 GW, which will be 40% of our total energy capacity. However, we have already achieved half of our target," Javadekar said.

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(With ANI inputs)