‘India’s net zero emissions target by 2070 too long-term’

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said achieving the net zero emissions target by 2070 is “little too long-term”, indicating that the country may achieve the milestone ahead of the deadline. Under the net zero target, India will completely switch to renewables by 2070.

Addressing the 26th Energy Technology Meet, Puri said: “Our net zero target by 2070 is a little too long-term.” He is of the view that India is moving fast towards energy transition and stated that for GAIL, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and others, the energy transition target is 2035 to 2040. He explained that energy transition in India will first be from fossil-based to cleaner fuels and further to renewables.

He also noted that global uncertainty is a dynamic driver for energy transition. On the Israel-Palestine conflict, he said such crises make energy transition faster towards biofuel, renewables etc.

The minister said, “India will handle it (Israel-Palestine conflict) with maturity. PM Modi’s statement is very clear. “So far as energy is concerned, let us be absolutely clear that the place where the action is taking place is in many respects the centre of global energy.

We will watch very carefully as we go along, we will navigate our way through this.” These kinds of uncertainties only encourage people to move into sustainable, cleaner fuels, he opined citing the ‘Global Biofuel Alliance’ as an example.

Talking about biofuel in India, he said, “we reached the target of 10 per cent ethanol blending five months beforehand. Now we are at 12 per cent, and the target of 20 per cent by 2025 can be achieved easily.”