New Delhi (NVI): India and Finland today signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for developing cooperation between two countries in the field of environment protection and biodiversity conservation.
The MoU was signed virtually by Minister of Environment Prakash Javadekar, from the Indian side and Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Government of Finland from the Finnish side.
This MoU will further advance Indian and Finnish partnership and support, exchange best practices in areas like prevention of air and water pollution, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in a statement.
“Waste management, promotion of circular economy, low-carbon solutions and sustainable management of natural resources including forests and climate change, conservation of Marine and Coastal Resources etc.” it added.
Speaking at the event, Javadekar said that the MoU also provides the possibility to have joint projects in areas of mutual interest. “This MOU will definitely commits us to work together more closely towards on the fulfilment of commitments made under Paris Agreement,” he added.
The minister further informed that India has achieved its voluntary target of reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 21 per cent over 2005 levels, by 2020 and is poised to achieve 35 per cent reduction well before the target year of 2030.
India has taken three quantitative climate change goals through reduction in the emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions submitted under the Paris Agreement, the statement further said.
“Achieving about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030,” it added.
Furthermore, the MoU will also strengthen technological, scientific and management capabilities and develop bilateral cooperation in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit with due respect to promotion of sustainable development.
-RJV
