Bhubaneswar: A two-day National Workshop on ‘Climate Change-New Age Revolution’ was organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) New Delhi and the India office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a German foundation.
Speaking at the valedictory session of the event, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said, “The life on earth is now under the threat of all ending catastrophe because of the fast increasing carbon and other greenhouse emissions. We have to act urgently with aggressive targets for keeping the global warming below 1.5 C failing which the life on earth will face the catastrophe soon.”
He added that the effect of climate change was already visible to a bigger degree. The frequency of summer and winter cyclones, increasing intensity of cyclones, erratic ways of nature, rapidly melting glaciers, etc are the distinct indications.
“Odisha started working to save climate change in last ten years.” He assured that State would provide all possible support for the implementation of the action plan that would be prepared with expert inputs from this workshop.
Critical issues relating to climate change were discussed at the workshop. Experts also highlighted how India could help raise capital for financing clean energy initiatives, develop measures for boosting adaptation and mitigation pathways, reduce coastal vulnerability, and integrate eco-sustainability in all policy decisions.
Civil society activists from Delhi, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, and Meghalaya, along with senior professors from the Indian Institute of Technology, and Jawaharlal Nehru University participated. Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General of TERI, Sovik Bhattacharya, Senior expert from TERI, and Pankaj Pradhan of KAS also addressed the session.
