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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 24 March 2023

Cost of India quitting coal is $900 billion, think tank says

By SIBI ARASU dian government issued
Associated Press emergency orders stipu-
BENGALURU, India (AP) — lating that coal plants are
If India stopped burning run at full capacity through
coal tomorrow, over five this summer to avoid any
million people would lose power outages. The coun-
their jobs. But for a price try’s coal use is expected
tag of around $900 billion to peak between 2035 and
over the next 30 years, the 2040, according to govern-
country can make sure no- ment figures.
body is left behind in the Prime minister Naren-
huge move to clean ener- dra Modi announced in
gy to curb human-caused 2021 that the country will
climate change, accord- achieve net zero emissions
ing to figures released by — where it only puts out
New Delhi-based think tank greenhouse gases that it
Thursday. can somehow offset — by
The International Forum for 2070. On Monday, United
Environment, Sustainability Nations Secretary-General
and Technology, known by António Guterres urged na-
the acronym iFOREST, re- tions to speed up their net
leased two reports detail- zero goals, calling for de-
ing how much it will cost for veloping countries to set a
India to move away from target of 2050. He was met
coal and other dirty fuels Smoke rises from a coal-powered steel plant at Hehal village near Ranchi, in eastern state of with a muted response.
without jeopardizing the Jharkhand, Sept. 26, 2021. Associated Press The reports recommends
livelihoods of millions who that the Indian govern-
still are employed in coal and districts,” said iFOREST 10% of the total amount the Center for Strategic ment focuses on retiring
mines and thermal power head Chandra Bhushan. required for a just transition, and International Studies, old and unprofitable mines
plants. To get the $900 billion fig- or about $9 billion. a Washington D.C. based and power plants first. Over
Ensuring that everyone can ure, the group researched The think tank said $600 bil- think tank. “Reports like this 200 of India’s more than
come along in the clean four coal districts in India lion would come as invest- are extremely important 459 mines can be retired in
energy shift that’s needed and identified eight differ- ments in new industries and since the just transition con- this way.
to stop the worst harms of ent cost factors, like setting infrastructure, with an addi- versation is beginning only “The energy transition has
climate change and guar- up infrastructure and get- tional $300 billion as grants now in India ... we need to start with coal,” said Jay-
anteeing new work op- ting workers ready for the and subsidies to support much more.” ant Sinha, who represents
portunities for those in fossil transition. coal industry workers and India is one of the largest the coal-rich Hazaribagh
fuel industries, known as a The biggest single invest- affected communities. emitters of planet-warm- constituency in the central
just transition, has been a ment to enable a just tran- “The scale of transition is ing gases behind only Chi- Indian state of Jharkhand,
major consideration for cli- sition will be the cost of set- massive. If formal and in- na, the U.S. and the EU. adding that the switch to
mate and energy analysts. ting up clean energy infra- formal sector workers are The country depends on clean energy needs both
“Just transition should be structure, which the report included, we are talking coal for 75% of its electric- funds and institutions to
viewed as an opportunity estimates could be up to about an industry that is ity needs and for 55% of its ramp it up. “Both of this
for India to support green $472 billion by 2050. Provid- the lifeline for 15 to 20 mil- overall energy needs and is must happen together for
growth in the country’s fos- ing workers with clean en- lion people,” said Sandeep still a far way off quitting. a successful transition,” he
sil fuel dependent states ergy jobs will cost less than Pai, a senior associate at Earlier this month, the In- said.q

Nigerian politician found guilty in UK organ harvesting plot

By SYLVIA HUI the man at a Lagos street other material advantage
Associated Press market, and that they ar- for doing so.
LONDON (AP) — A senior ranged for the victim to The verdict is the first to
Nigerian politician and provide a kidney to their convict suspects of an or-
his wife were found guilty 25-year-old daughter, So- gan-harvesting conspiracy
Thursday of conspiring to nia, in an 80,000-pound under the U.K.’s modern
transport a street trader to (nearly $100,000) transplant slavery laws.
the U.K. as part of an or- operation at a London hos- As part of the ruse, the
gan-harvesting plot. pital. victim was described as
Ike Ekweremadu, who was The victim, who was trans- Sonia’s cousin in his U.K.
deputy president of the Ni- ported to London in Febru- visa application, and the
gerian Senate and a law- ary 2022, believed he was Ekweremadus pretended
yer, and his wife, Beatrice, being taken to the capital to doctors that the young
were accused of arranging for work, and that under the man was related to Sonia.
the travel of a 21-year-old agreement he would be But a doctor at the Royal
man to the U.K. with a view paid thousands of pounds, Free Hospital became sus-
to exploiting him for a kid- These undated handout photos provided by the Metropolitan prosecutors said. picious about the circum-
ney donation. Police on Thursday, March 23, 2023 show from right, Senator Kidney donations are law- stances surrounding the
Prosecutors said the poli- Ike Ekweremadu, 60, Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, and Dr Obinna ful in the U.K., but it’s a proposed operation, and
tician and his wife were Obeta, 50. criminal offense to reward decided it couldn’t go
behind the recruitment of Associated Press someone with money or ahead. q