French Ambassador to India Francois Richier has called for local initiatives based on advanced technology and clean energy to overcome site-specific impacts of the global problem of climate change. With France to host CoP 21, Richier stressed on widespread use of technology for a new vision that does not limit growth but creates climate-friendly options. He mentioned of certain specific cases like that of larsen & Tourbo, ITC Group of Hotels and Sonalika Tractors in Punjab which are already on their way with local initiatives to combat this challenge locally.
He said India has assured France that it will ensure the success of climate change conference later this year. “We have had a strong and fruitful dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this and the message was that we (India and France) will ensure that it (climate meet) is a success,” said the French Ambassador. “Before the actual conference begins, we are trying to lay the groundwork and there will be formal negotiations and diplomatic negotiations, but also there are informal negotiations and we are trying to reach a preliminary number of agreements ahead of the conference,” he said.
As per the conference, the final agreements would be legally binding and articulated with national commitments. Each country would have its national contribution plan, but we will also have to see how each country can do under its given circumstances, said Richier.
He was speaking at an event organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) that organised the first ever event of its kind by the way of soliciting the opinions of 100 select Indian citizens on climate change and energy issues.
The project is an initiative by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) called ‘World-Wide Views on Climate Change and Energy’ that will see over 10,000 citizens around the world on Saturday to discuss and deliberate on the key issues related to climate change.
Richier inaugurated the India chapter of the event in the run up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-21) conference in Paris later this year. The occasion had five thematic areas including Importance of tackling climate change, Tools to tackle climate change, UN negotiations and national commitments, fairness and distribution of efforts and making and keeping climate promises. The opinions of the citizens worldwide were taken in the process.
In India, while 83.65% were found to be concerned on the impacts of climate change, 75% thought measures to fight climate change are ways to improve quality of life. As per the results, 79. 61% thought that UN Climate change negotiations since 1992 have done little to fight climate change. Regarding the imposition of Carbon Tax, as a tool to tackle climate change, 52.38% citizens agreed but graduated according to the level of development.
Richier praises Gujarat for reducing use of fossil fuel by 10%
Speaking on the sidelines of the event later, Richier commended Gujarat saying that the State has not only reduced its consumption of fossil fuel by 10% but also increased its renewable energy production by 18%. “The State goes on to prove that it is possible to have climate friendly development,” he said. While it may not be possible to eliminate fossil fuel, there can be cleaner technologies and efforts to reduce its consumption, he added.