NEW DELHI, India — Greenpeace welcomed the direction that the National Action Plan on Climate Change articulated, while cautioning that true commitment to the vision would only become clear when the detailed mission plans are tabled in December this year. "The Solar Mission and the Renewable Energy proposal are clear highlights of this plan, while the big disappointment is the lack of similar ambition when it comes to the Energy Efficiency Mission", said K Srinivas, Policy Advisor Greenpeace India.
Campaigning for a future free from climate change, Greenpeace activists beam a message on the Raichur Thermal Power plant in Karnataka. Coal burning emits large volumes of carbon dioxide leading to climate change. Climate change will hit India hard. Clean, renewable energy is the solution!
"The principles on which the plan was based", he added, "shows a
clear shift in the government's stand from 'growth will be our
answer to climate change' to a position of 'growth objectives would
be met through a low carbon, 'ecologically sustainable' path
'sensitive to climate change'."
The Solar Mission and Renewable Energy programmes described in
the Plan show foresight in energy planning and an intention to
capitalise on the solar potential in the country. With the
indicated targets of 15% of Renewable Energy on the grid by 2020,
India will be looking at approximately 42 GW from Renewables as per
the current Climate Plan, which is comparable with 49 GW that
Greenpeace called for in the Energy [R]evolution[1] scenario for
India in early 2006. This is a considerable enhancement of
renewable energy in India's energy mix, and a shift from the
projections in the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans.
However, the key to developing a low carbon pathway is dependent
on how much coal we can reduce in our energy mix. This can be
achieved only if, in addition to expanding renewables we also
achieve clear "savings" or "efficiency targets". The Greenpeace
Energy [R]evolution scenario target for efficiency by 2020 is 15%
of electricity generation, and on this count, the Energy Efficiency
Mission is silent.
10000 MW of savings from energy efficiency by 2012 as envisaged
in the plan is not at all ambitious. Merely the phase out of the
incandescent bulb and its replacement with currently available CFL
technology would achieve a saving of 12000 MW, and this could and
should be achieved by 2010. The main bone of contention with the
Efficiency plan is that it looks to focus on voluntary efforts and
market mechanisms, which simply will not achieve the kind of
targets which should be met. "This is actually a win-win situation
for India and it is difficult to understand why more emphasis is
not being placed on mandatory efficiency standards", said Srinivas,
demanding that the final Efficiency Mission should have clear shift
to mandatory norms, while keeping the financial incentives in place
to make the shift possible.
Ms. Ailun Yang, Greenpeace Climate Campaign Manager from China,
in her presentation of the China Climate Plan, spoke of the
opportunities that China has seen in becoming the leader in clean
energy to establish their future energy security and low-carbon
development path. "China and India are taking action to address the
challenge of developing their economies and people's futures in a
climate challenged world", she added, "it is the time for some
developed countries to stop using China and India as the excuses
for their own inaction and get down to business as time is running
out for the planet. "
Greenpeace believes it is possible to keep the worst impacts of
climate change - such as extreme weather events, water crises and
increased hunger - from putting millions of people at risk. This
will take a revolution in the way we use and produce energy, and a
strong commitment to stop deforestation worldwide. India has
communicated its intention, but the devil lies in the detail.
For further information, contact
Vinuta Gopal-Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner-09845535418
Shweta Ganesh Kumar - Greenpeace India Communications, +91-9845068125, 
Notes to Editor
1. Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable India Energy Outlook
This report gives a detailed analysis of how to restructure the global energy system based only on proven and sustainable technologies such as renewable energy sources and efficient, decentralised co-generation. More than 30 scientists and engineers from universities, institutes and the renewable energy industry around the world collaborated to provide detailed regional assessments for the potential for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures.
A copy of the Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable India Energy Outlook report can be downloaded at:
http://www.greenpeace.org/india/press/reports/india-energy-revolution
2. The National Action Plan on Climate Change can be downloaded here: http://pmindia.nic.in/Pg01-52.pdf