Achieved target of ethanol blending in petrol ahead of schedule: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (June 5) said that India has achieved the target of 10% ethanol blending in petrol five months ahead of schedule.
Speaking at the ‘Save Soil Movement’ programme, which coincided with World Environment Day, PM Modi said that in 2014 ethanol blending was at 1.5%.
Also read: World Bicycle Day: PM Modi asks people to take inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi
PM Modi said that there are three clear benefits of achieving this goal. First, it has led to a reduction of 27 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions. Second, it has saved foreign exchange worth 41,000 crore and thirdly, farmers of the country have earned ₹40,600 crore in the last eight years due to an increase in ethanol blending.
He complimented the people, farmers, and oil companies of the country on this achievement.
PM Modi also said that India’s efforts to protect the environment have been multifaceted.
The country is making this effort when India’s role in climate change is negligible. Large modern countries of the world are not only exploiting more and more resources of the earth, but maximum carbon emission goes to their account, he said.
India’s carbon footprint
The PM said that the average carbon footprint of the world is about 4 tonnes per person per annum compared to just about 0.5 tonne per person per annum in India.
He said that India is working on a long-term vision in collaboration with the international community on protecting the environment and established organisations like Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and International Solar Alliance. He reiterated India’s goal of net-zero by 2070.
PM Modi informed that to save the soil, India needs to focus on five main things – how to make the soil chemical-free, how to save the organisms that live in the soil, which are called Soil Organic Matter in technical language, how to maintain soil moisture, how to increase the availability of water till it, how to remove the damage that is happening to the soil due to less groundwater, and how to stop the continuous erosion of soil due to the reduction of forests.
He further informed that India has achieved the target of sourcing 40% of the country’s installed power generation capacity from non-fossil fuel nine years ahead of schedule. Solar energy capacity has increased by 18 times and policies like Hydrogen Mission and Circular economy-related policies, scrappage policy are examples of India’s commitment to environmental protection, he said.
‘Save Soil Movement’ is a global movement to increase awareness about deteriorating soil health and to bring about a conscious response to improve it. The movement was started by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in March 2022, who embarked on a 100-day motorcycle journey passing through 27 countries. June 5 marks the 75th day of the 100-day journey.
Speaking at a programme on ‘Save Soil Movement’. @cpsavesoil https://t.co/YRYC1vWEsw
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 5, 2022
‘LiFE Movement’
Meanwhile, PM Modi will launch a global initiative ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement’ on Sunday at 6 pm via video conferencing.
The launch will initiate ‘LiFE Global Call for Papers’ inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities & research institutions etc. to influence and persuade individuals, communities, and organisations across the world to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle.
The programme will also witness the participation of Bill Gates, Co-Chairman Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lord Nicholas Stern, Climate Economist, Prof. Cass Sunstein, Author of Nudge Theory, Aniruddha Dasgupta, CEO and President World Resources Institute, Inger Andersen, UNEP Global Head, Achim Steiner, UNDP Global Head and David Malpass, World Bank President, among others.
The idea of LiFE was introduced by PM Modi during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last year. The idea promotes an environment-conscious lifestyle that focuses on “mindful and deliberate utilisation” instead of “mindless and destructive consumption”.
