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India's solar power an example to the world, says Prince Charles

iGlobal Desk

India has a vital role to play in the world’s search for nature-based and technology-based solutions which are critical to accelerating the move towards a zero carbon future and its solar power efforts are an example to the world, Britain’s Prince Charles said on Wednesday.

In a special address at the India Global Forum session on Climate Action, the world-renowned environmental campaigner called upon Indian entrepreneurs and CEOs to join the Sustainable Markets India Council, launched to seek out sustainable investments to influence an acceleration towards climate action goals.

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HRH Prince of Wales said: “With India’s global reach and robust private sector, I believe there are some key ways we can work together to accelerate our efforts and build a more sustainable future. Firstly, we need to focus on accelerating the flow of private capital to support the transition.

“I know that renewable energy, particularly solar power, is rapidly gaining ground in India and is an excellent example to the rest of the world.”

Prince Charles focussed specifically on the need for a clear set of "global farm metrics" to create sustainable supply chains.

“With agriculture being so critical to the Indian economy, there is a real opportunity to explore how such metrics could support the lives and livelihoods of farmers in India as well as wider supply chains and markets,” he said.

“With India being a global centre of technology and innovation, combined with a deep connection to nature and harmony, you have an absolutely vital role to play in this effort. Particularly, in view of India’s wealth of entrepreneurial talent,” he said, adding that India would play an “essential part” as these efforts are further developed at the COP26 UN climate summit, to be hosted by the UK in Glasgow in November.

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The Climate Action session of the India Global Forum, a hybrid conference organised by UK-headquartered India Inc. Group this week, also included a discussion with Michael Bloomberg, former New York Mayor and Founder of Bloomberg Ltd.

“I am a believer that the private sector is the one that can deliver climate action,” said Bloomberg.

The India Global Forum, pegged around the theme of “Future. Now. – Radical Actions for the Post Pandemic Era”, brings together a range of worldwide experts, including World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and senior Cabinet ministers including UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Priti Patel, and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal across sessions covering India’s role in vaccine and medicine manufacturing as well as cooperation in crucial areas of climate change and an equitable global economic recovery.

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