TRAIN THEM YOUNG FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY: EXPERTS

By 1 2 1 News Reporter

Chandigarh 22nd, August:--- Reiterating that energy saved is energy produced, Dalip Sharma, Regional Director, PHD Chamber said that It is high time that we cultivated energy saving habits. Environment and energy conservation and sustainability is a challenge requiring policy programmes, technological development and behavioral

change to go hand in hand. No one could be a better option than NGC trainers for behavioral changes as they can leave an imprint on the tender minds most effectively.  Dalip Sharma opined that With India's energy demand expected to more than double by 2030, there is a pressing need to develop innovative ways to develop energy saving habits as reflexes..

Dalip Sharma was speaking during the one day workshop on "Environment and Energy Conservation for NGC Master Trainers" at PHD House here today. The workshop was organised as part of the series of awareness campaign on energy conservation being run by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. PHD Chamber organised the workshop in association with Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST), Petroleum Conservation Research Association, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, and Konard Adenauer Stiftung, Germany. 

Stressing on the need for training to the NGC master trainers, Rajender Kumar, Additional Director, State co-ordinator, Chandigarh said, "Energy conservation assumes special significance due to limited sources of primary energy in our country and our heavy dependence on imports to meet the demand."  Laying stress on the cultivation of simple energy saving habits including use of natural resources efficiently, Kumar said, "The biggest challenge ahead of all of us is to change the mindset of the people." About 70% of India's energy generation capacity is from fossil fuels, with coal accounting for 40% of India's total energy consumption followed by crude oil and natural gas at 24% and 6% respectively. India is largely dependent on fossil fuel imports.

By 2030, India's dependence on energy imports is expected to exceed 53% of the country's total energy consumption. In 2009-10, the country imported 159.26 million tonnes of crude oil which amount to 80% of its domestic crude oil consumption and 31% of the country's total imports are oil imports. The growth of electricity generation in India has been hindered by domestic coal shortages and as a consequence, India's coal imports for electricity generation increased manifold.

The experts disseminated information on energy efficiency, fuel conservation, environmental concerns, water issues and concerns, global warming, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, carbon footprint, renewable energy, and strategic initiatives.