Solar panels to be installed on roof of UN Headquarters during Modi's visit to NY

In a bid to reiterate its commitment to combat global climate change, solar panels will be installed on the rooftop of the headquarters of the United Nations during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to New York.

The installation of the solar panels will be one among the many events organised during the Prime Minister's packed scheduled to the United States.

The move towards climate protection was done from a grant of USD one million that India had gifted to the UN to promote renewable energy and showcase its commitment to the use of solar energy.

"Solar panels, a gift from India, are installed on the roof of the UN. The panels are powered up to reach the max of 50 KW of generation power," the United Nations tweeted.

 

Alongside the solar panels, a green roof is also placed in the United Nations headquarters. A green roof, also called a living roof, is a roof covered with vegetation, the organisation said.

Showing the country's commitment to fighting climate change by harnessing renewable sources of energy, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, had earlier tweeted that India has funded the solar project at UN Headquarters to reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable energy.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale during a weekly briefing today said that the second event includes the inauguration of the Gandhi Peace Garden at the State University of New York Campus at Old Westbury in Long Island where 150 trees have been planted in honour of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. The third being the release of a UN posted stamp on Gandhi.

Revealing the details of Modi's schedule in the US, Gokhale said that the Prime Minister will visit the country from the late afternoon of September 21 until the forenoon of September 27. And the two cities on his itinerary are Houston in Texas and then in New York.

On September 22, Modi will be addressing the Indian community at the most awaited 'Howdy Modi!' event in Houston. "This will be his third address to the Indian diaspora in the US," Gokhale said.

Previously, Modi had addressed the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2014. The second was at the SAP Centre at San Jose in California in 2015.

The Foreign Secretary said: "This one where we are expecting over 50,000 people from the diaspora and it will be the largest that the Prime Minister will be addressing till now in the US." "We are delighted that President Trump will also be there," he said.

"The presence of the dignitaries there reflects the high standing influence of the Indian diaspora in the US and the bipartisan support that the Indo-US relations enjoy in the political leadership of the US," Gokhale stressed.

After this community event, the Prime Minister is also expected to have a separate interactive session with the members of the US Congress after which he will be leaving for New York.

On September 23, the Prime Minister will be attending several multilateral events there, beginning with the 'Climate Summit' organised by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wherein the Prime Minister will showcase what India has done to address climate change issues and also "our expectations from the international community to address this very pressing problem."

This event will be followed by another event hosted by the UN Secretary-General, which is on universal health coverage.

"The Government's programme of 'Ayushman Bharat' is the world's largest healthcare initiative and the Prime Minister will be focusing on showcasing that at this event," the Foreign Secretary told the media persons.

In addition, the Prime Minister will also be speaking at a third event on the same day, the 'Leader's Dialogue' on strategic responses to terrorist and violent extremist narratives. This is a dialogue jointly hosted by the King of Jordan, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the President of France and the UN Secretary-General.

The next day, Modi will be attending a lunch hosted by Guterres and in the late afternoon, the dignitary will be addressing another event organised to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This event is titled 'Leadership matters: Relevance of Gandhi in contemporary times.'

The Prime Minister will be joined by some Heads of Government, including President of the Republic of Korea, PM of Singapore, PM of New Zealand, PM of Bangladesh, PM of Jamaica as well as the UN Secretary-General.

The last event on that day is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's 'Global Goalkeeper's Award' which is accorded to a world leader every year for the achievement in a specific sustainable development goal.

This year the Gates Foundation will be honouring the Prime Minister for his leadership in the field of sanitation through the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The previous winners have been Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.

On September 25, the morning will begin with a keynote address at an opening plenary of the Bloomberg Global Business Forum after which the Prime Minister will have a conversation with Michael Bloomberg and this will be followed by an investment round table organised by the Government of India and Invest India in which 40 major companies will be present including JP Morgan, Lockheed Martin, American Corporation Bank, MasterCard, WallMart and others.

"The objective of this is to get feedback from industry about their business plans in India and to demonstrate government's business-friendly approach and attracting investments into India," Gokhale added.

On September 27, the Prime Minister will address the United Nations General Assembly. This will be the first time that the Prime Minister will address the General Assembly in the high-level segment after 2014.

India will not dwell upon the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly and instead discuss its contribution on the development, peace, and security fronts as a responsible member of the global body, the Ministry of External Affairs has said.

The Prime Minister, during his visit, will be engaged in bilateral meetings with 20 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

Besides the Prime Minister, the External Affairs Minister will also be in New York. This will also be the first visit of the Prime Minister after the reelection of the government in May this year.