India can achieve the ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2070 much before the target, said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
In an interview, the IMF MD said that with the ambition India now demonstrates, it could take additional actions that could help in carbon neutrality being achieved earlier than expected. She added that it is important that a country like India plays a leading role against climate change, and underlined that phasing out coal is a big issue for the country.
Georgieva noted that what India has done is “quite admirable” because it is a country that has nearly 1.4 billion people that need access to development opportunities. Therefore, the pressure to expand the use of resources is exceptionally high. Yet, the country is managing to put in place very ambitious objectives: reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by the year 2030, from 2005 level. She also applauded New Delhi for its programme of using solar as a main source of energy and taking it to the global level through the International Solar Alliance.
The IMF MD also mentioned India’s innovation, such as the applicability of green hydrogen and making the public investment to accelerate movement in the area, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for right individual choices that empower a society to guard its resources, to be contributing to the vision.
