CB BureauSpeaking at the inaugural session of InfraGreen’11 conference, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan stressed the need for creation of green infrastructure and focusing on sustainable development. ‘India has managed a good growth rate despite our various initiatives to combat climate change. While we focus on mitigation measures, poverty eradication and equity need to take centre stage. There is no difference between development and environment. Conservation is not just about restraint but also progressing in a sustainable manner,’ said the minister.
The conference, with the theme ‘making green the national agenda’, focused on targets for green development, sustainability and green practices in real estate, development of infrastructure in tune with sustainability, and the impact of adopting green practices in infrastructure on the end users.
Addressing the issue of the country’s growing need for energy and how banking on renewables would give India the edge globally, Planning Commission member BK Chaturvedi said, ‘Energy is vital for growth, but equally important for us is how clean it is. We need better-quality coal, a switch to gas-based generation, and investment in renewable sources of power.’
‘Under the prime minister’s agenda on energy efficiency, we need to improve standards of energy-guzzling industries, make our buildings energy-efficient, and switch to better modes of public transport,’ added Chaturvedi.