Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Thursday announced the signing of a new memorandum of understanding with India to improve cooperation between the two states in the fight against climate change.
For the Minister, this agreement represents an opportunity for Canada to export new renewable energy technologies and more specifically to make renewable energies a reliable source of electricity.
However, the memorandum of understanding did not even mention coal-based power despite Canada’s position as a world leader in the movement to eliminate coal-based electricity generation. In the case of India, it is the second largest producer and consumer of coal on the planet.
Mr. Guilbeault pointed out in an interview that the memorandum of understanding was the result of the long -term efforts of Canadian and Indian representatives as well as following a meeting between Minister Guilbeault and his Indian counterpart Bhupender Yadav on the United Nations climate. summit in Scotland in November.
The final details have already been fixed on the sidelines of the climate summit taking place this week in Sweden to mark 50 years since the very first UN conference on the environment.
This conference in 1972 marked the first step in a global partnership to put environmental protection on the list of priorities.
Collaboration in several areas
Under the memorandum of understanding, the two countries pledge to collaborate, exchange information and expertise, and support each other’s ambition in many areas, including building renewable energy generation capacity, decarbonizing heavy industries, reducing plastic pollution, supporting the proper management of chemicals and sustainable consumption.
Steven Guilbeault refused pointing India and its environmental record by claiming to recognize the significant growth challenges facing the country whose large population requires massive energy consumption.
” What we can do is work with them to help them accelerate their decarbonization by increasing their renewable energy capacity. “
Coal is considered one of the most harmful sources of energy. It will be responsible for producing approximately 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
An alliance to eliminate coal -based energy
In 2017, Canada and the United Kingdom created the project Strengthening Past Coal alliance, which was joined by a total of 48 countries. This alliance aims to eliminate coal -based energy in developed countries by 2030 and in the rest of the world by 2050.
GHG emissions from coal dropped from 109 million tonnes in 2000 to 35 million tonnes in 2020.
However, India is seeing the opposite trend as its rapid economic and population growth as well as its efforts to electrify the country require continued reliance on coal.
Coal costs more than half of India’s energy production and related GHG emissions will nearly triple between 2000 and 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing for a renewable energy program, but his promise to produce 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by the end of the year is far from fulfilled.
Steven Guilbeault noted that although coal is not on the menu at this time, Canada wants to do everything to export its expertise in renewable energy technologies to help India get rid of its reliance on coal. .
Source: Radio-Canada
