Energy, economy to top PM’s G-20 agenda

India will seek energy efficiency laws as well as change in the energy mix to push for renewable energies: Suresh Prabhu

Energy and economy will be the key issues at the G-20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s point person, or ‘Sherpa,’ Suresh Prabhu said on Thursday.

Describing key environment and clean energy concerns that India will take up at the summit in Brisbane from November 14 to 16, Mr. Prabhu said India would seek “energy efficiency laws as well as changing the energy mix to push for renewable energies.”

Mr. Prabhu distanced himself from comments reported in a newspaper on delinking “the bracketing of India and China on climate change issues.”

Responding to a question from

The Hindu on his controversial remarks, Mr. Prabhu said, “The G-20 is not a negotiating platform, we want to focus future negotiations on adaptation to climate change. All other discussions will be held by the Ministry of Environment and Forest in Peru next year, not by me at the G-20.”

Mr. Prabhu’s earlier comments reported in the paper suggested a shift from the government’s stand at climate change conferences coordinated among the ‘BASIC’ grouping of Brazil, South Africa, India and China formed in 2009. India has also signed a bilateral agreement with China in 2009 on climate change cooperation.

Mr. Prabhu said Mr. Modi would also make a pitch for bringing down worldwide cost of remittances to India. “India is the world’s largest recipient of remittances at $71 billion. We will urge G-20 nations to take steps to reduce the cost of sending money here,” he said.

In some cases, the cost of sending money to developing countries is as high as 10 per cent of the value of the remittances, he said, adding, efforts must be made to reduce it to less than five per cent.

Mr. Modi will go on a three-nation 10-day tour on November 11.