New Delhi

Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger today while addressing Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2015 (DSDS15) in Delhi described Gujarat as California of India. Schwarzenegger said he has been admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Arnold said, “I thank Prime Minister Modi for all works he is doing. I have been admiring him since he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat which I heard is California of india. And he has created some very good actions in Gujarat.”

Arnold praised a “brilliant idea” to cover Gujarat’s canals with solar panels.

He said, “Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the state of Gujarat had brilliant idea to cover its canals with solar panels. Now the central government here wants to cover over 1,000 miles of canals to generate thousands of MW of clean energy.”

He said Prime Minister Modi is leading solar revolution.

Arnold said, in United States, solar industry created more jobs than gas industry last year. He said fighting climate change also supports job creation, health and national security.

Arnold, an Austrian-born American actor, producer, activist, businessman, investor, writer, philanthropist, former professional bodybuilder, and politician who served two terms as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011 was part of the summit in Delhi as founder of R20 (Region20).

Reactions on social media:

SchinG: Amount of alcohol left-over in glass in CA is greater than total served in Gujarat in a day 🙂

David B Cohen: Except California practices maximum government, minimum governance.

Amit Agarwal: I live in California, sadly the place is getting ruined by politicians and taxes. Gujarat has better prospect.

PTI report

Hollywood action-movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger today said he would be a “terminator” for climate change and asked state governments to follow Narendra Modi’s “actions” as Gujarat Chief Minister to achieve sustainable development goals.

The former California governor, who has earned a reputation as a climate change activist, thanked and lauded Prime Minister Modi for his work, including as Chief Minister of Gujarat, to push for sustainable development and clean energy.

He said “Gujarat is California of India” and Modi had certainly created “good action”.

Appreciating the progress made by Gujarat on climate change front, he said this showed that the state governments have tremendous power with them and they need not wait for the Central government for any action.

The film star, who is also the chair of R20 Regions of Climate Action – a non-profit organization – was addressing the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) organised by the Energy Resource Institute (TERI).

“This is a challenge of our time and that is why I am on a crusade for a sustainable future and terminate climate change once and for all,” Schwarzenegger said.

The film-star turned American politician expressed hope that India, under Modi’s leadership, would play a key role in the UN climate negotiations in Paris in December this year.

“I know that India would be a big player in negotiations and I trust that the Prime Minister would do everything that he can,” he said.

The United Nations is pushing for an international climate agreement in Paris later this year that will limit global warming to two degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

Schwarzenegger also praised India’s recent objective of achieving 100 GW solar energy target in five years.

“I promise you…I would continue my crusade, I would continue the firing, I would never give up… till create a green and sustainable energy future,” said Schwarzenegger.

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