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In a significant move towards its climate goals, India convened the 25th meeting of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) on Monday, highlighting the vital role of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) technologies. This strategy aims to cut emission intensity by 45% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2070. Held at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe and chaired by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, the meeting brought together key government officials and industry experts. The focus was on accelerating the deployment of CCUS technology across various hard-to-abate sectors. Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member of Science and Technology at NITI Aayog, emphasised that CCUS technologies are essential for meeting the 2030 and 2070 climate targets. He highlighted the importance of the technical committees established by NITI Aayog's Advisory Committee in developing a practical policy framework for these initiatives. The session included detailed discussions on the reports from these committees, covering all aspects of CO2 capture, utilisation, transportation, and storage. Rajnath Ram, Advisor/Head of Energy at NITI Aayog, led the first session with a presentation on the committee's findings. He outlined a roadmap for creating a robust CCUS policy framework in India. Further presentations from industry experts showcased the development of a complete CCUS value chain tailored to the Indian context. They also highlighted initiatives by power generation companies to integrate CCUS technologies into their operations. Discussions extended to the creation of a national portal for CCUS projects, intended to foster collaboration among all stakeholders. A representative from the Department of Science and Technology noted that such a platform would centralise efforts and streamline implementation processes across various ministries and departments. In his closing remarks, Professor Sood called for a mission-mode approach to drive nationwide adoption of CCUS technologies. He proposed that the Ministry of Power should take the lead as the nodal agency, in collaboration with other relevant ministries. This proposal received broad support, marking a unified step forward in India's environmental strategy. (Source: ET)