Читать книгу Food Security, Energy Security, and Inclusive Growth in India - Herath Gunatilake - Страница 4

Promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency is one of five pillars of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) energy policy. The South Asia Department of ADB has prioritized its support for renewable energy projects in its developing member countries. It has been actively seeking opportunities to broaden its assistance for renewable energy in many sectors to (i) ease growth in fossil fuel demand and upward pressure on energy prices, (ii) improve energy security, and (iii) reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Biofuels are a renewable source of energy which could help achieve these objectives. The first-generation biofuels, however, compete for agricultural resources and therefore cautious approaches are needed in promoting biofuels.

This publication is an outcome of the ADB technical assistance (TA) project Cross-Sectoral Implications of Biofuel Production and Use in India. The objective of this TA project was to generate scientific information on biofuels to help implementation of the biofuel policy in India. This TA project included a series of studies using rigorous analytical tools, following a consultative and transparent process. The TA project report provides balanced and carefully drawn conclusions and a set of pragmatic recommendations to move the Indian biofuels sector forward. The Government of India has shown keen interest in this study and we hope that the government will consider the report’s recommendations in formulating policies to achieve greater energy security, inclusive growth, and carbon emission reduction while taking necessary supplementary measures to avoid adverse impacts, if any, on the food sector.

This TA project was undertaken with limited resources, but produced a very valuable set of recommendations which will help India to develop a biodiesel industry to substitute diesel imports of about Rs650 billion per annum, while generating an estimated 18 million rural jobs. The TA project also generated a series of knowledge products on a new subject which has drawn serious attention from academics and policy makers.

I congratulate Herath Gunatilake, principal energy economist, Energy Division, South Asia Department, and his team for designing and carrying out these challenging studies on a new subject of major relevance to public policy.

Sultan Hafeez Rahman Director General, South Asia Department