Kerala to become 100% renewable energy-based State by 2040: Chief Minister

The State to soon come out with a new ESG-focused industrial policy, which specifies incentives to promote responsible industrial production

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan releases the World Bank report on Climate Change at the India Climate and Development Partners meet, in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Kerala aspires to become a 100% renewable energy-based State by 2040 and net carbon neutral by 2050, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

The Chief Minister was inaugurating the India Climate and Development Partners’ Meet, hosted by the State government and the World Bank, and releasing the Kerala State Action Plan on Climate Change 2023-2030 (Kerala SAPCC 2.0).

Mr. Vijayan described the Kerala SAPCC as an ‘‘inclusive, sustainable’‘ plan with a focus on climate change adaptation in key sectors including agriculture, coastal fisheries, water resources, health, forests and biodiversity. It was also designed to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities against climate-induced hazards, he said.

Kerala is the first State in India to include hydrogen-powered mobility in its zero emissions mobility policy. The government has constituted the Kerala Hydrogen Economy Mission to contribute strategic inputs and facilitate partnerships and collaborations towards transforming the State into a green hydrogen hub. ‘‘The production of green hydrogen is expected to be instrumental in the State’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,’‘ he said.

Kerala would soon come out with a new ESG (Environmental, social, and governance)-focused industrial policy, which specifies incentives to promote responsible industrial production, he said.

₹Rs. 865.8 crore loan agreement

The State government inked an agreement with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency) for a performance-based loan of 100 million euros (₹865.8 crore) on the occasion. Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI) chief executive officer Bishwanath Sinha and AFD Country Director Bruno Bosle signed the agreement which is aimed enhancing the state’s resilience against impacts of climate change.

World Bank South Asia regional director (Sustainable Development) John A. Roome, International Solar Alliance chief of operations Joshua Wycliffe, Chief Secretary V.P. Joy, and Additional Chief Secretary V. Venu spoke. Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change secretary Leela Nandan attended the event online.