Power Minister exhorts women to increase participation in renewable energy sector
Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh exhorted women to increase participation in the renewable energy sector and steer India’s energy transition towards Net Zero while speaking at an event organized on the occasion of World Environment Day.
He also mentioned India’s key achievements in the renewable energy sector and stated that India’s actions are in line with commitments made in the Paris Agreement to limit the temperature increase to well below 2-degree C above pre-industrial levels.
Highlighting the role of women in combating climate change, the Minister emphasized the significance of developing women-centric policies and implementation frameworks in the renewable energy sector. He recognized how women are more effective in bringing about change at the grassroots level through community engagement and household-level action. He noted that women, especially in rural areas, can benefit from Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) and gain reliable livelihood opportunities. He also highlighted that women can play a big role in switching to green cooking which can be another big step in achieving Net Zero.
Secretary, MNRE B S Bhalla highlighted the increasing opportunities for women in the Renewable Energy sector and the need for enrolment in courses for education, training, and capacity building relating to renewable energy sources.
On this occasion, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced to recognise the work of women in renewable energy sector under the following categories:
- Fostering a gender-diverse work place
- Outstanding Woman Entrepreneurs (including start-ups and excluding rural areas)
- Rural Women Entrepreneurs
- NGOs or Civil Society Organisations encouraging Women for the use of Renewable Energy
- Women Leading the Change for Renewable Energy, separately in urban areas and Rural areas.
The event was attended by more than 180 participants comprising stakeholders across the value chain, including from union ministries, state departments, multilateral organisations, financiers, technology suppliers, think tanks and beneficiaries.
