New Delhi : High-profile leaders in renewable energy are joining Nobel laureate and former US vice president Al Gore here to train another 450 Climate Reality Leaders on the science of climate change and solutions for the climate crisis while developing skills to effectively communicate about both the challenges and opportunities, the Climate Reality Project announced Monday.
The Feb 22-24 event marks the 27th Climate Reality Leadership Corps training, and will focus on India’s renewable energy potential, as well as the key role the country plays in the lead up to the highly anticipated COP 21 climate negotiations in Paris at the end of the year.
World-class experts will speak on a variety of topics relevant to India and climate change, including its effects on the country, opportunities for renewable solutions, and how grassroots engagement can benefit people across India.
The speakers include Ken Berlin, president & CEO, Climate Reality Project; Sanjit Bunker Roy, founder, Barefoot College; Ajay Mathur, director general, Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Angela Rutter, director of strategic engagement, Australian Conservation Foundation.
“There are many reasons to be optimistic about our ability to solve the climate crisis,” said Gore, chairman and founder of the Climate Reality Project.
“The Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in New Delhi, which will bring together committed activists and citizens from all over India and from several others nations, gives me yet another reason to be hopeful. After completing this training, these leaders will be empowered with the best tools possible to communicate this message of hope to their own communities,” he added.
Kamal Meattle, trustee, the Climate Reality Project, India spoke about the implications of climate change for India and apprised the climate leaders about the current situation in the country.
“India is an important country when it comes to climate action, as it is already experiencing negative effects of climate change, including extreme rainfall, flooding and significant changes to agricultural patterns without the infrastructure to easily adapt. While the country has a low per-capita historical responsibility for emissions, India also has the opportunity to pursue an inclusive and sustainable development pathway, to secure a healthy, safe and prosperous future for its citizens and the world,” a Climate Reality Project statement said.
Thus far, the Climate Reality Project has trained over 7,000 Climate Reality Leaders from more than 100 countries, including recent trainings held in Istanbul, Chicago, Johannesburg, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro.