On path to 2030 Agenda: Premachandran tells UN
‘India striving towards accomplishing sustainable development’
India has embarked on a journey towards accomplishing sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda adopted by the United Nations three years ago, N.K. Premachandran, MP, said in the UN General Assembly recently.
“More than 110 member states including my country have presented our Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in the last three years as we have moved from the phase of percept to the stage of practice to achieving these goals,” he added while speaking in the assembly recently, representing India.
Agenda 2030 has 17 Sustainable Development Goals and Mr.Premachandran said India is on the right trajectory to achieve these SDGs ahead of schedule.
“India’s External Affairs Minister during her address to the 73rd General Assembly assured this,” he said.
The MP also pointed out that India’s national policies are in sync with the SDGs in focusing on poverty eradication, education, gender skills and employment, health care and infrastructure development, among others.
“In 2014 India launched the largest sanitation and hygiene programme in the world – the Clean India Mission with the objective of making India open defecation free and achieve scientific waste management by October 2, 2019.
Four years ago, 60% of the global population defecating in open was in India. Today it has reduced to 20%,”he said.
Mr. Premachandran, in his speech, stressed that India is not only pursuing inclusive development, but also is less energy intensive.
“India is also taking bold and ambitious climate action towards renewable energy transition. By 2022 India plans to produce 175 GW of renewable energy that will include 100 GW of solar power,”he said.
He cited Cochin International Airport as an example that proved to the world that big infrastructure projects can be commercially viable while fully relying on solar power.
“This will avoid C02 emission by more than 9,00,000 tonnes over the next 25 years, which is equivalent to planting 9 million trees,” he added.
Source: thehindu
