We should help solve global carbon emissions problem: Tata chairman Chandrasekaran

Mumbai, Oct 7 (PTI) Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran on Tuesday said India should help solve the global carbon emissions problem, adding it will require innovation and technology.

“We should contribute to solving the global problem of carbon emissions because unfortunately, India cannot afford the same level of carbon emissions as the Western world incurred to achieve their economic progress,” he said.

“Doing so requires innovation and technology,” Chandrasekaran told PTI at launch of the book 'Hope for Life on Our Planet: Inspiration for Seven Generations', at Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group in south Mumbai.

Carbon emissions are the release of carbon-containing gases, primarily carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels for energy.

“India, as you know, has been a thriving economy and the aspiration level of the country is growing. Not only from the government, but people from all walks of life, be it business, sports, arts…people living in urban and rural areas, the aspiration level is growing,” he said.

“We need to kindle those aspirations, because hope is fundamental to bringing about progress. So, while we achieve our progress and become a developed nation, the goal of Viksit Bharat, we also need to achieve equity and solve our environmental problems,” Chandrasekaran said.

He also stressed the need for providing “a quality of life and dignity” for every citizen. “Be it access to healthcare, education, and everything else that can empower them.” “In some cases, it may be finance, and about how do we empower our women. So if we can have an aspiration towards making progress holistically, it will be remarkable,” Chandrasekaran said.

The book is a global anthology of essays, reflections, and calls to action from 64 contributors, including Nobel laureates, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, indigenous leaders, philosophers, and policymakers.

The contributors include primatologist and anthropologist late Jane Goodall, Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil society leader Oleksandra Matviichuk, former president of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez and Chandrasekaran.

Mohammadi wrote her note for this book in May 2024 from her cell in Evin Prison, Iran, illustrating how to nurture hope even in the darkest places. PTI VT VT