Need innovation to make renewable energy much cheaper, says Modi

Mysuru: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that good governance is all about integrating science and technology into the choices "we make and the strategies we pursue".

While addressing the Indian Science Congress in Mysuru, he said, "Innovation must not be just the goal of our science. Innovation must also drive the scientific process. We will make it easier to do scientific research in India." "We should work for India that stands out in global science," he added.

On the context of renewable energy, he said, "We need innovation to make renewable energy much cheaper, more reliable and easier to connect to transmission grids."

"Innovation is important not just for combating climate change, but also for climate justice, we need research and innovation to make clean energy technology available, accessible and affordable for all. We must also address the rising challenges of rapid urbanisation," PM said.

While reiterating that cities are the major engines of economic growth, employment opportunities and prosperity, he said, "We must develop better scientific tools to improve city planning with sensitivity to local ecology and heritage. Cities account for more than two-thirds of global energy demand and result in up to 80% of global greenhouse gas emission, we must develop better scientific tools to improve city planning with sensitivity to local ecology and heritage."

Expressing concern over solid waste management, he said, "We have to find affordable and practical solutions for solid waste management. A sustainable future for this planet will depend not only on what we do on land, but also on how we treat our oceans. We have increased our focus on ocean or blue economy. We are working in raising the level of our scientific efforts in marine science."

"As we increase the level of our ambition for our people, we will also have to increase the scale of our efforts," said Modi.