The Yogi government, which is transforming Uttar Pradesh to adapt to new paradigms of future development, is focusing on implementing environmentally inclusive policies.
In this context, a sectoral workshop on the theme of ‘Viksit UP-2047’ was organized at the Yojana Bhawan auditorium on Monday under the aegis of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA). The one-day workshop was inaugurated by Dr Arun Kumar Saxena, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Forests. The workshop served as a platform to showcase Uttar Pradesh’s forward-looking approach in the field of green energy. It emphasized the need to ensure balanced and holistic development by integrating growth with environmental protection. It also highlighted the importance of prioritizing Green Development at all levels of policymaking and implementation. Senior government officials, technical experts, academic institutions, and key stakeholders discussed long-term strategies for sustainable and climate-resilient development and presented roadmap suggestions.
Dr Arun Kumar Saxena, Minister of State for Forests (Independent Charge), stated that Uttar Pradesh is a leading state in every respect, whether in population or development. Under the guidance of PM Modi and the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh will set new benchmarks of progress by 2047. He noted that skill development is rapidly expanding in the state. IITs, polytechnics, skill development centres, and private training institutes are being established in both government and private sectors, giving new direction to employment and development. He emphasized the need to conduct public awareness programs to educate people about pollution control and environmental protection. He also stressed the importance of community participation and strong inter-departmental coordination to ensure that all development projects remain socially inclusive.
Anil Kumar, Principal Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, emphasized accelerating policy reforms and strengthening institutional mechanisms so that Uttar Pradesh can emerge as a leading climate-inclusive state. Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, Planning, underlined the need to integrate climate considerations into long-term development plans to ensure sustainable growth. B. Prabhakar, PCCF (Monitoring), highlighted the importance of forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, and district-level climate adaptation measures. Inderjeet Singh, Director, UPNEDA, outlined the potential for significantly scaling up renewable energy in the state through innovation-led models and public-private partnerships.
B. Chandrakala, Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, emphasized the need to adopt renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions, promote a circular economy and resource efficiency, strengthen ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation, build climate-resilient infrastructure, bolster disaster risk reduction, and mobilize climate finance through green bonds, blended finance, and international climate funds. Manish Mittal, Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, welcomed the guests and underscored the growing importance of embedding environmental sustainability into every aspect of development.
Panelists at the workshop-including Dr Swati Saini, Advisor, NITI Aayog; Siddharth Shankar, Deputy General Manager, NABARD, Sachchidanand Tripathi, Dean, Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur; and Hans Jürgen, Director, GIZ-presented ideas on evidence-based, locally accessible technologies and interventions for biodiversity conservation, energy planning, and climate-resilient infrastructure development