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Time of India
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Green fuels, clean tech, and climate finance on agenda as India gathers for ET India Net Zero Forum 2025
New Delhi: With India targeting net zero emissions by 2070, over 50 senior policymakers, public sector heads, global climate experts and industry leaders will gather in Delhi on June 18 to deliberate on the country's transition towards a low-carbon economy at the ET India Net Zero Forum 2025 . The day-long event will be held at Hyatt Regency, bringing together voices from energy, environment, finance, and manufacturing sectors. The event is being organised by ET Energyworld in partnership with SAEL, Pipeline Infrastructure Ltd (PIL), Trualt Bioenergy, GoodEnough Energy, SKF, and others. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav will deliver the keynote address, setting the tone for high-level deliberations on climate policy, energy transition, and clean technology innovation. The forum will also feature top officials such as NABARD Chairman Shaji KV, UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp, and European Union Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin. The event will serve as a platform for government agencies, PSUs, global organisations, financiers and corporates to explore how to accelerate India's green goals while ensuring sustainable economic growth. The conference comes against the backdrop of India's updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which include achieving 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by 2030. Key sessions will explore sector-specific decarbonisation strategies for industries such as cement, steel, power, transport, and agriculture. With the industry sector accounting for around 30 per cent of India's emissions, the forum will examine how hard-to-abate sectors can transition through cleaner technologies, carbon capture, electrification, and alternative fuels like ethanol and green hydrogen. Public sector heads from Indian Oil, NHPC, ONGC Green, NLC India and SAEL Industries will present their decarbonisation roadmaps, touching upon their green hydrogen, bioenergy, and renewables-based projects. A dedicated panel led by NITI Aayog will review India's progress on its net zero by 2070 goal and the institutional support required to scale up climate investments. The forum will also include a focused dialogue on transforming agricultural residues into renewable energy , highlighting the role of waste-to-energy in tackling air pollution and enhancing farmer incomes. This session will be anchored by SAEL Industries, which has developed India's largest network of biomass power plants. In another session, CMDs of state-run energy firms will outline strategies for transitioning from fossil fuels to a diversified energy mix. The discussions will also cover recent policy initiatives such as the Green Credit Programme, carbon markets, and renewable energy procurement mechanisms that are shaping India's energy future. A strong private sector presence will see participation from sustainability heads and CXOs of Mahindra Group, Apollo Tyres, Fortis Healthcare, Godrej Industries, JK Cement, Nestlé India, and more. These sessions will focus on ESG implementation, energy efficiency, digitalisation for climate action, and aligning business models with climate goals. In the closing session, former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu will offer a long-term perspective on climate diplomacy and the future of sustainable infrastructure development in India. A special address by the Department of Atomic Energy will spotlight the role of nuclear energy in India's clean energy transition. With India's energy needs projected to double by 2040 and the global pressure mounting to align national actions with the Paris Agreement goals, the ET India Net Zero Forum aims to act as a bridge between intent and implementation.
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Environmentalists urge MoEFCC to reconsider implementation of Aravalli green wall project
Environmentalists are urging the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to reconsider the implementation of the Aravalli Green Wall Project, warning that the plan poses significant risks to India's oldest mountain range. The statement was made by the 'People for Aravallis' group shortly after Union Minister Bhupender Yadav announced during a national workshop in Rajasthan on 22 May 2025 that the project would enhance green cover and biodiversity in the Aravalli range. Neelam Ahluwalia, a founding member of the non-profit People for Aravallis, expressed concern about the project's implementation through the 'Green Credit Programme' for eco-restoration work in the Aravalli landscape. Additionally, a legal petition is currently pending in the Supreme Court, filed in early March 2025 by People for Aravallis and the Goa-based group 'Rainbow Warriors'. This petition challenges the existing Green Credit Rules (GCR), emphasising that the rules inadequately address the responsibility of the entity seeking green credits. Specifically, the GCR focuses only on the initial planting of trees and does not ensure the long-term survival of those trees. Further, the GCR allows the plantation of 1,100 trees per hectare without any scientific study and permits plantations in fragile ecosystems such as open forests, scrublands, wastelands and catchment areas.
