Reconstituted climate panel reviews progress by national missions

NEW DELHI: Ahead of next month's UN climate conference in Lima, the reconstituted Executive Committee on Climate Change today reviewed the progress made by the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change ( NAPCC).

"While noting the progress made, the committee expressed concern on lack of progress in allocation of sub-targets within the existing earmarking of three per cent for solar projects and implementation of sustainable habitat standards by the states," an official release said here.

In the meeting, the issue of lack of adequate funding was flagged by some of the missions.

The committee discussed some initiatives as envisaged in the NAPCC.

These are Greenhouse Gas (GHG) mitigation in power generation, other Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) programmes, disaster management links, protection of coastal areas, health sector, and creating capacity at different levels of government on climate change and suggested that relevant ministries may prepare a work programme on all these initiatives.

The committee suggested that Environment Ministry should coordinate these initiatives. Suggestions were also made to launch new national missions in the field of Wind Energy, Health, Waste to Energy conversion and coastal management.

The committee appreciated the efforts of state governments in formulating State Action Plan on Climate Change ( SAPCC) and recommended launching of a new Central Sponsored Scheme, if required, for implementing some of their priority projects.

It suggested expediting the finalisation of remaining 6 SAPCCs. The committee was apprised of the "Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth" by the Planning Commission.

The committee noted that 29 states had prepared their SAPCCs, allocation of additional 1500 MW power was made by the Ministry of Power to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for bundling scheme and that a team for quantification of GHG emission reduction through the implementation of national missions was set up.

The National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency reported emissions reduction by around 98.55 million tonnes by 2015 and saving of 23 million tonnes of oil - equivalent of fuel savings and distribution of 2.58 million LED bulbs.

The designated consumers in the PAT scheme would be enhancing energy efficiency by 4.05 per cent per year which would reduce energy cost by Rs 7500 crore per year. The committee suggested that the mission should enhance its targets in the next PAT cycle.

The Solar Mission reported the addition of grid solar power of 2870 MW and off-grid solar applications of 364.27 MW along with solar thermal collectors of 8.42 million sq m till 2013-14 and total CO2 reduction of 15.5 million tonnes.

The committee was apprised of the new projects of solar parks, solar PV power projects on canal top or canal banks and solar power driven agricultural pump sets and water pumping station in 2014-15 and implementation of green corridors transmission infrastructure.