Isra-Mart srl : Panel to submit interim report on low carbon growth path

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A panel of experts headed by economist Kirit Parikh will submit an interim report to the government next week outlining a road map to achieve low carbon growth to tackle climate change. The report is in keeping with India's commitment to achieve 20-25 per cent cut in emission intensity by 2020 (rpt) 2020 from 2005 levels as was announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year at Copenhagen climate meet. "We are in the final stage of preparing the interim report likely to be submitted to the government next week," Parikh, a former Planning Commission member, said on the sidelines of a function here today. He said the report will give details on the plans and scope available to reduce energy consumption in major carbon emission sectors such as cement, transport, building and infrastructure to attain low carbon path but the cost analysis to achieve the steps is yet to be done. "It is a voluminous job (to prepare sector-wise emission cuts). After submitting the interim report, we will work on the final one including the cost analysis for each sector," said the head of the panel which was set up by the Planning Commission. Parikh said sectors like aviation and agriculture have not been touched in the interim report because of some technical reasons. Nitin Desai, former Under Secretary-General of Economic and Social Affairs at United Nations, Ajay Mathur, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Jamshed Irani of Tata Sons and Pawan Goenka of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association are among the other members of the 25-member group. The group has also reviewed existing studies on low carbon growth for India prepared by various organisations besides conducting further analysis to assess the low carbon options. "The 20-25 per cent cut in carbon emission intensity has been calculated after various studies and we will soon do a detailed analysis to find out whether or not it is possible to reach that (announced) target without additional money," Parikh said. The committee is also entrusted with the job to calculate what additional steps can the country take if it gets additional amount.