NT Reporter
Panaji
Power Minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar on Friday said that for coastal states like Goa, climate action is not merely an option but an imperative, as the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, environmental stress and pressure on natural resources, are immediate and real. He said sustainable and climate-resilient development was essential rather than desirable.
Speaking at the International Net Zero Summit 2026 award ceremony in Panaji, Dhavalikar highlighted environmental concerns linked to the current energy mix and said that nearly 72 per cent of thermal power is produced in India, which is highly damaging to the environment. Aligning Goa’s sustainability goals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of achieving net-zero emissions by 2047, he said India requires 500 GW of green power capacity by 2030 and has already achieved around 300 GW of renewable energy generation.
He praised India’s global leadership under Modi, citing initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the country meeting Paris Climate Agreement targets ahead of schedule. He said economic growth and environmental responsibility must advance together through innovation, good governance and community participation. He also stressed the need for stronger partnerships between government, industry, academia and civil society to translate climate commitments into action.
Shrinivas Dempo, Chairman of the Dempo Group of Companies, said sustainability must become the engine of growth and not an obstacle. He said net zero is no longer a distant aspiration but a business imperative, policy priority and moral responsibility, and called for moving from compliance to commitment and from reporting to actual emission reductions.
