By Arul Louis
United Nations, Sep 24 (IANS) Indian Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that industry has undertaken to go on the low-carbon path to fight climate change but availability of affordable technology poses a problem.
Javadekar said on Monday that the UN's Industry Transition Track for tackling climate change will work with various countries to solve the problem through joint efforts and research.
Those dealing with low profits on technologies for transitioning to low-carbon emissions by industries are "very much essential to bring us to low carbon path", he said.
India and Sweden co-lead the Industry Transition Track for ensuring industries move to low carbon emission manufacturing.
Javadekar and Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment Isabella Lovin briefed reporters along with industry representatives about the track, which is one of nine specialised groups to promote the fight against climate change and achieve the goals of the Paris climate accord.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier at the Climate Action Summit said the track's "Leadership Group" will provide opportunities for cooperation in the area of technology innovation and develop low carbon pathways for industry.
Javadekar said that India and Sweden will continue to lead this group from the front and will ensure collaboration by more countries and help industries learn from each other's experience.
"The good news is that industry is ready," he said.
During the two days of preparations for the Climate Action Summit convened on Monday by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, heavy industries offered to "do their bit on their own without any incentive or outside help" to follow the low-carbon path, Javadekar said.
Javadekar gave examples of industries in India adopting low-carbon technologies.
Dalmia Industry is today' world's lowest carbon-emitting cement industry and they are working on a plan of carbon capture and use, he said.
Kochi Airport is completely solar-powered and the SpiceJet airline has already used bio-fuels Bombardier planes and now they are preparing Boeing aircraft to use the fuel, he said.
Asked about Guterres's demand for completely stopping the use of coal, he said: "We are taxing coal production so money generated is also available for startups and innovation because that is where the solutions will be found and then there can be a transition to an affordable technology."
The chairman of the executive board of ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Premal Desai, said that his company was working to transition from using carbon fuels to hydrogen for making steel.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)
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