IPCC Chairman R.K. Pachauri on Monday suggested that the country bring about a major shift in its approach towards ensuring energy security in view of its healthy rate of growth.
“As far as future is concerned, both of the global economy as well as a country like India where our population is growing and economic development is taking place at a very healthy rate, we have to find some major shift by which we can ensure energy security,” he said.
Addressing the Third India-Japan Energy Forum meeting here, he said the best approach that one could take is towards moving low carbon emission technology which comes with a whole range of benefits.
“This includes much higher level of energy security, it involves low level of air pollution that brings major health benefits and most importantly it generates substantial amount of employment,” he said.
He said though India does not have any commitment for reducing emission of green house gases, “It’s entirely true that we would be the subject of major impact of climate change that we cannot possibly ignore.”
Mr. Pachauri said societies that have been able to bring about a shift towards greater use of renewable energy and much higher level of energy efficiency, have actually generated a large amount of green employment which essentially is now being adopted by several countries.
Referring to Indo-Japanese cooperation in the field of energy, Mr. Pachauri said the demographic profile of both the countries provides them enormous benefits in looking at development of technologies suitable to each other’s requirements.
Citing the oil crisis of 1973-74 which prompted a few countries, including Japan, to embark on a strategic shift in its energy policy, he said what was unique in the case of Japan was that it was able to bring about a major reduction in energy intensity of growth and at the same time establish a very healthy rate of growth.
“That, in my mind, was a great example being set of complete decoupling, at least for a few years, of energy consumption and economic growth,” he added.
