The dialogue agreed to create a regional hub for decarbonisation and energy transition for knowledge-sharing in Eastern India
Ranchi, September 27, 2024: The Government of Jharkhand, the Task Force on Sustainable Just Transition (Jharkhand) and the Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) jointly organised a regional workshop ‘Facilitating Transition for Climate Resilience: Regional Perspectives and Learning’ today. The event brought together senior officials from various government departments and agencies—spanning energy, forest and environment, industry, transport, agriculture, and livelihood sectors—from the resource-rich states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. The event fostered dialogue, cross-learning on best practices and regional understanding for advancing climate resilience and low-carbon development in the Eastern region.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Aboobacker Siddique P., IAS, Secretary, Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Jharkhand, stressed the necessity of a green development approach for states and regional prosperity. He emphasized the need to rethink how natural resources can be sustainably managed, scale up inclusive development, and implement robust climate adaptation strategies to ensure both economic and environmental goals for the future.
Shri Jitendra Kumar Singh, IAS, Secretary, Industries Dept. and Mines & Geology Dept., Government of Jharkhand, underscored the importance of diversifying the economy through investments in green infrastructure, decarbonisation measures in large industries and MSME sectors, developing green hydrogen ecosystems, and climate-resilient urban landscapes. These initiatives are essential for ensuring the region’s long-term resilience and prosperity.
The four states—Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal—are pivotal to India’s energy security and economic growth, housing around two-thirds of the country’s coal, iron ore, and other critical minerals. As vital industrial hubs, these states face the dual challenge of maintaining economic growth while addressing increasing CO2 emissions that impact the region’s environment and socio-economic prospects necessitating taking urgent steps in future preparedness.
Elaborating further in this context, Shri A.K. Rastogi, IFS (Retd.), Chairperson of the Task Force-Sustainable Just Transition, Jharkhand, echoed the call for action, highlighting the urgency of developing regional centric-low-carbon pathways for the region. A holistic, future-ready framework will not only conserve valuable resources of these states but also drive socio-economic progress. Green jobs, renewable energy, and climate-smart development approach are the foundation of our path forward, he further added.
Shri Ramapati Kumar, CEO of CEED, emphasized the need for convergence across sectors and stakeholders, by stating that collaboration is paramount for fostering long-term resilience and addressing complex challenges. The strength of efforts lies in inclusivity, regional cooperation, and co-creating pathways that align local needs with climate goals.
The workshop featured the sharing of best practices, insights and lessons by senior government representatives from the participating states. Discussions centred on key themes, including climate preparedness, the decarbonization journey, energy transition, sustainable livelihood, and holistic development strategies.
The representatives from Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Odisha emphasized the need for industrial decarbonization, calling for a shift toward greener technologies that lower carbon emissions while unlocking new economic opportunities in sectors such as green jobs, clean manufacturing, and sustainable mobility. They also discussed the transformative potential of clean energy, particularly solar initiatives, noting that expanding solar power and other renewable sources is not just environmentally necessary but also strategically critical for reducing dependency on fossil fuels and advancing sustainable industrial growth.
The event concluded with a call for regional collaboration and the creation of a regional decarbonisation hub that will act as a knowledge-sharing platform on the best practices for decarbonisation, energy transition, and amplifying the initiatives on climate resilience for sustainable growth. Emphasis was also placed on localized climate actions to build grassroots resilience, with capacity building and public-private partnerships for scaling these efforts.
