A two-day conference on ‘Climate change mitigation - A serious issue for SMEs,’ organised by TFSC (TANSTIA-FNF Service centre), began here on Friday.
According to TFSC representatives, climate change initiatives had been given a major thrust by FNF in the recent years due to various natural calamities happening all over the world because of global warming. The conference was part of the various programmes organised by TFSC with the support of Friedrich Naumann Stiftung fur die Freiheit (FNF) across the state to enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have a better understanding of market compatible strategies and the best practices for climate protective growth.
The conference also aimed at creating awareness among the SMEs that energy use was at the root of all their efforts. Hence, they should become conscious of the near term directions that the supply of energy was likely to take as a result of climate change mitigation need and the manner in which they have to adapt to the change.
TFSC said the environmental degradation resulting from climate change was multi-faceted. And one simple way of addressing the complex issues related to climate change was to increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In a nutshell, the message was that energy conservation and efficiency was largely in the hands of the SMEs.
Inaugurating the meet, K Dhanavel, secretary, Department of MSME, said that thrust was given by the government for renewable energy models to SMEs in the recent ‘Solar Policy of Tamil Nadu’. He also emphasised the need for alternate energy models by SMEs.
TFSC aims to bring out a policy paper through the deliberations of the two day conference to submit to the Government about their role in facilitating energy efficiency among the SMEs.
Y E Rao, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, in his key note address, gave an overview of climate change and global warming and how to protect the environment.
Maria Schneider from FNF, New Delhi, listed out the initiatives taken by the foundation on climate change across the world.