UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng today (8 October 2021) met with India’s Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh, for the third UK-India Energy for Growth Dialogue, where they discussed strengthened collaboration on accelerating the move to global clean energy in the decade ahead.
Taking place just 3 weeks ahead of the UN COP26 conference, Mr Singh and Mr Kwarteng celebrated collaborative progress made since the first and second Dialogues in 2017 and 2018. Both sides highlighted India’s advancement of solar energy to power the Indian Railways, welcoming close collaboration through the India-led International Solar Alliance, which aims to mobilise more than $1 trillion of investments in solar energy by 2030.
Minister Singh and the UK Business Secretary highlighted the importance of a strong, home-grown renewable energy sector being the cornerstone for building a secure energy system. Decarbonisation also provides excellent opportunities to create green jobs, champion gender inclusivity, and drive economic growth across both India and the UK.
Both partners discussed how COP26 is an opportunity to show global leadership on clean energy, including the expected launch of the UK and India Government’s Global Green Grids One Sun One World One Grid Initiative by delegations of UK and India. This initiative will bring together an international coalition of national governments, financial organisations, and power system operators to accelerate the construction of new infrastructure needed to deliver a massive scale-up of secure, reliable and affordable power, such as modern, flexible grids, charging points, and electricity interconnectors.
Cementing their commitment to longer term collaboration, the ministers endorsed an ambitious forward action plan on clean energy, including boosting renewable energy and storage, improving energy efficiency measures, enabling production and use of green hydrogen, and increasing the switch to electric mobility.
Their first action on this agenda is to initiate a joint programme on smart power, renewable energy and storage. In addition to providing a springboard for India’s renewable energy market in areas such as offshore wind, the programme will help to create digital solutions for power distribution companies, improving industrial energy efficiency, and boosting electric mobility in ways that maximise business opportunities and investments.
UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:
As we gear up to host the UN COP26 summit next month, today the UK and India have made important progress in outlining how this deep partnership can continue to deliver green growth for both countries powered by clean energy.
Supporting the move to clean energy is a shared priority, and our new joint programme on smart power, renewable energy and storage will help to increase investment in renewable projects, while creating new high skilled jobs across both nations as we build back greener.
Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India, said:
Action on climate change is a central pillar of the 2030 Roadmap agreed by Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson.
The Energy Dialogue today advanced our joint agenda to develop clean energy to support sustainable growth for both our economies.
