The EU and India have adopted a historic Leaders’ Joint Statement on clean energy and climate change. The statement was endorsed by leaders at the EU-India summit in Delhi on Friday, October 6, 2017.
India and the EU are major players in the clean energy transition and the global efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Both have been instrumental in the swift ratification of the Paris Agreement.
European Commissioner for climate action and energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, said: “This first-ever statement is testimony of our highest political commitment to the Paris Agreement and the clean energy transition. Today, the EU and India are joining forces to help put the Paris Agreement into practice and bolster energy cooperation, including new fields of cooperation on energy efficiency, smart grids and low-emissions mobility. By working together, we can make a difference and jointly lead the global clean energy race.”
Building on the ratification of the Paris Agreement and the Joint Declaration on a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership adopted in 2016, both sides consider climate action and the clean energy transition as an imperative for the future development of their societies.
They confirmed their commitments under the Paris Agreement and agreed to step up cooperation to enhance its implementation and meet its ambitious goals.
They welcomed the progress on the Clean Energy and Climate Partnership since last year’s summit and reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing cooperation on renewable energy, smart grids, energy efficiency and the cost-effective deployment of offshore wind energy in India.
The EU and India agreed to further develop the Partnership, notably through facilitating EU-India business-to-business interaction on the implementation of climate action commitments and the clean energy sector and through expanding the cooperation to other areas including green cooling, solar pumping, energy storage and advanced biofuels.
There is a clear window of opportunity to develop and establish a strong partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance resilience to climate change. Building on existing dialogue, the EU and India will pursue constructive collaboration on the implementation of India’s national climate plan. Upcoming events in this context include expert meetings, conferences and a study visit to Europe for Indian officials.
Furthermore, the EU and India will work together to advance the implementation of the International Solar Alliance launched at the Paris climate conference (COP21) in 2015. In this context, they intend to cooperate on approaches to de-risk financing of clean energy investment.
