Capitalising on Opportunities and Overcoming Constraints - A Round Table on Clean Energy Technology in Industry
August 3, 2001

Welcome Address of Mr. Chirayu R. Amin, President, FICCI

Hon’ble Union Minister for Power, Mr. Suresh Prabhu,
Mr. Richard Edwards, Director, USAID
Mr. Ron Sissem, Chief of Party of the GEP-CCS Project
and Friends

A very warm and cordial welcome to you all. I am specially thankful to the Hon’ble Union Minister of Power for being with us to deliver the inaugural address.Sir, that you have found time to address this Round Table out of your busy schedule and specially while the Parliament is in Session only reflects your commitment to working closely with industry for finding solutions to the problems facing the country.

FICCI, has always cherished working closely with you, earlier at the time of the India-Chem. 2000 and now for the Global conferences on Transmission and Distribution to be held shortly. You have always impressed every one of us with your pro-active leadership. Your guidance and counsel has always been very valuable.

Today’s Round Table focuses on a vital subject of global significance. The issue of clean energy technologies is not only important in the context of the growing concerns about global warming but also in terms of managing our own energy future. In my view, clean energy technologies must form an integral part of our energy strategies.

Of course the current negotiations on global warming and the Clean Development Mechanism that aimed at creating a market for carbon emissions are not sailing smooth. While some countries are reluctant to accept mandatory obligations for emission reduction, there are others who have made voluntary commitments on their own. As is usually the case with all international negotiations, there are contentious issues in this area too. But I am sure the continuing dialogues will certainly result in more realistic frameworks that take into account the ground level realities.

In my view, the slow pace and stalemates in global negotiations on this issue should neither deter nor dilute our approach to adopting clean energy technologies. We owe it to our own future generations to adopt clean energy technologies in all areas of development. As Corporate citizens, industry must look at clean energy technologies as part of its responsibility towards society. The financial gains that may accrue to us in future through the sale of the ‘reduction in carbon emissions’ is only one of the benefits. There are many other benefits that are for more important.

Clean energy technologies are indeed vital for the country to build up its energy security. We are indeed in a more advantageous position to integrate more and more of renewable sources of energy into our energy consumption basket. Clean energy technologies also have a great potential to enhance energy efficiency in every process and thus improve the cost competitiveness of Indian products in the world market. It would also be important to diversify the supply side of energy. Be it accelerated development of our hydro power potential or the import of hydro power or natural gas from neighbouring countries, this will not only help contain pollution and carbon emissions but also help overcome the energy and feed stock shortages. In fact it would also relieve the rail transportation system from the strains of transporting coal on a massive scale.

Sir, this Round Table has been organised with the help of USAID to take stock of the clean energy project opportunities in some of our high energy intensive industries like steel, aluminum, cement, pulp and paper and fertilizers.

We have not only managed to carry out in depth studies of the huge opportunities available for clean energy technology adoption in these sectors but also brought together at this Round Table concerned experts from the industry, technology and financial institutions to discuss the options and draw up an action plan. I am sure that we will have at the conclusion of this Round Table a set of recommendations that we could discuss with you and other Ministers for facilitating speedy implementation of clean energy technologies in industry.

With these few words, I would like to conclude my opening remarks and request the Hon’ble Minister to deliver the inaugural Address