By 121 News
Chandigarh Oct. 20, 2020:-- While addressing at the UK Country Session being organised as part of CII India International Agri & Food Tech 2020, Ken O'Flaherty, UK Government's COP26 Regional Ambassador to Asia-Pacific and South Asia, said that while countries are rightly focusing on fighting the immediate health crisis and economic challenges posed by COVID-19, we must not lose sight of the huge challenges presented by climate change. Therefore, taking action to tackle climate change globally should be the top priority. He said that the next five years are critical, we must work together and act urgently.
This year is a crucial year for our climate, and he is confident that UK-India leadership on climate action can deliver substantial progress towards reducing emissions and helping to build resilience globally. He called for concerted and collaborative efforts from all countries to tackle climate change.
He added that mitigation is crucial to address the main root cause and to avoid catastrophic long-term impacts, while adaptation is necessary to cope with the unavoidable impacts of climate change that we are already experiencing today.
Upendra Tripathy, Director General, International Solar Alliance, said that ISA has one target in the Framework Agreement — to mobilise more than $1,000 billion by 2030, apart from bringing down solar energy cost. The world is at a critical juncture now and is staring at an uncertain future in terms of energy production. All nations need to come together and formulate a mechanism to address energy needs through clean and sustainable methods like Solar. Combined efforts by the nations will form the pillar of a successful solar revolution.
H E Ms Gaitri Issar Kumar, High Commissioner of India to UK, Government of India, said that we have identified food and drinks as one of the focus sectors for enhanced trade partnerships. We see that Indian food industry is poised to see sustainable growth in the years to come. Technology and Renewables are priority areas in working together with the world and in a focused way with UK. She added that Indian agri sector if supplemented with appropriate technology and support practices could see significant enhancement in productivity.
She said that although solar energy is cost-free but how we convert and store it is important. UK has a highly developed food processing and packaging industry focused on fortified food products and this can be beneficial to India.
H E Ms Jan Thompson, Acting High Commissioner for UK to India, Government of UK, said that the UK is already working closely with India as a joint force for good on climate change. This year is a crucial year for our climate, and she is confident that UK-India leadership on climate action can deliver substantial progress towards reducing emissions and helping to build resilience globally. Addressing this challenge adequately will require innovative coordinated solutions that everyone should be part of, from public and private sector, civil society, youth, to every one of us. There are opportunities to enhance knowledge exchange, technologies, capacity building, awareness raising and behavioural change, to contribute to the transformation necessary to combat climate change.
Jamshyd N Godrej, Chairman, CII Climate Change Council and Chairman & Managing Director, Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd, said that with recent improvements in how farmers grow, we can see a shift from traditional to value added agriculture. We all can see that the effects of stubble burning are significant, which is why we need technical and social solutions that work for everyone. We need to make sure that farmers double their income and look at modern agri practices. Shifting to more resilient, productive, and sustainable agriculture and food systems is crucial for improving food security. But it also contributes to climate change mitigation as GHG emissions from human activity and livestock are a significant contributor to global warming.
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