Bengaluru: India’s E20 ethanol blending programme represents a significant step towards cleaner energy, energy security and sustainable development, and is well aligned with global climate goals, Sanjay Kumar Kar, Professor of Management and former Head of the Department of Management Studies and former Dean of Faculty Affairs at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, said on Thursday.
Speaking to IANS on India’s Ethanol Blending Programme, Kar said the country’s biofuel policy has been developed through a structured and consultative process involving multiple stakeholders, rather than being introduced abruptly.
“I think this is an interesting area where our government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken significant steps. The ethanol blending programme is the way forward,” he said.
“If you look at the United Nations’ clean energy and clean fuel development initiatives under Sustainable Development Goal 7, this programme is well aligned with that goal. The ambitious targets set under the National Policy on Biofuels in 2018, followed by the amendments in 2022, have led to what I would describe as an excellent and extraordinary achievement,” Kar told IANS.
He said the progress made in achieving the ambitious E20 target reflects sustained policy support, scientific advancements and long-term planning.
“Achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending has been a gradual process, supported by scientific progress and consistent policy incentives from governments over the years,” he stated.
Addressing concerns and misinformation surrounding ethanol-blended fuel, Kar said greater emphasis should be placed on understanding the science behind the programme and its broader benefits.
“I do not follow much about those kinds of rumors spreading around, but what is very important from the point of view of the community is that we need to understand the science behind it and the benefits for the stakeholders, right? When you look at the benefits for stakeholders like farmers, vehicle owners, and the climate- and environment-related benefits, which extend much beyond what we see right now, right? So, from that point of view, I think the general public and vehicle owners need to understand that it is a larger goal compared to our personal goals,” he mentioned.
(IANS)
