Delhi and Brussels reaffirmed their commitment to expand cooperation on climate change and may launch the “Green Hydrogen Alliance” on the agenda of bilateral talks next year.
With New Delhi’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2070, the prospect of India’s transformation into a global renewable energy powerhouse may provide an opportunity for EU-India climate cooperation.
Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow to announce that 2070 is the country’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions.
Modi unexpectedly announced the news after months of resisting international pressure to make further climate pledges, and after his environment minister rejected the idea of a net-zero pledge just a week ago.
In Glasgow, India raised its 2030 low-emission energy capacity target from 450 GW to 500 GW, and pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 billion tons before the end of the decade.
The most ambitious of India’s five goals is that by 2030, half of the country’s energy will come from renewable sources, compared with about 38% in 2020.
According to sources close to the Indian government, the Delhi government is not ready to set more goals without more financial support and technology transfer from rich countries.
“Developed countries reached their peak emissions in the 1990s and announced net zero emissions by 2050. This is a 60-year gap. According to current estimates, India may reach peak emissions around 2040-50,” the source said. Tell EURACTIV. “However, we announced that we will achieve net zero by 2070, which is only a 20-year gap.”
“The EU has been trying to achieve the goals that have been achieved in 60 years, and India is trying to achieve them in 20-30 years,” the source emphasized.
CBAM’Pandora’s Box’
“Developed countries’ per capita emissions should at least reach the global average, and developing countries should have enough carbon space,” the source added, adding that measures such as the Carbon Boundary Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) should be the last resort.
CBAM, which aims to promote demand for green products, is described as discriminatory by emerging countries such as India, and the European Union imports large amounts of aluminum and steel from this country.
“On the other hand, CBAM can open the Pandora’s box of trade wars in the context of historical emissions and current emissions,” a source close to the Indian government told EURACTIV.
Although India is currently the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the United States, its per capita emissions are much lower than other major economies.
Earlier this week, leaders of developing countries expressed frustration in Glasgow because advanced economies have so far failed to deliver on their pledges to mobilize more funds to support the energy transition.
“India expects the developed countries in the world to provide US$1 trillion as climate financing as soon as possible,” Modi said when referring to the failure of the commitment to provide US$100 billion in annual climate financing starting in 2020.
“Justice will demand that countries that have not kept their climate commitments should be pressured,” he added.
In the green agreement, the EU pledged to increase support for international climate adaptation capabilities and preparedness, including through the expansion of international financing.
The EU’s special envoy to India, Ugo Astuto, said at an event held at the Ananta Aspen Center before COP26: “We absolutely recognize that climate finance is a climate-neutral, climate-neutral, and The key to a resilient global economy and global society.”
Green Hydrogen Alliance
During his visit to India in October, EU climate affairs chief Frans Timmermans suggested exploring joint initiatives, such as the possibility of holding joint forums and high-level meetings in the first half of next year.
Timmermans also announced that the European Union will launch a 1 million euro plan to strengthen cooperation with the International Solar Energy Alliance. The funds will be used to support academic exchanges, research and innovation, and to promote the exchange of best practices on how to raise funds for solar deployment.
“I expect green hydrogen to play an important role in the dialogue between the EU and India in the coming months,” Astuto said.
The promise of using renewable energy to produce emission-free green hydrogen has aroused increasing interest in developing countries that aim to achieve economic decarbonization.
Focusing on the future trade partnership with the European Union, Delhi has expressed interest in establishing a green hydrogen energy alliance with the European Union.
During the joint summit in Porto earlier this year, Delhi and Brussels Reiterate They pledged to expand cooperation in mitigating climate change. The EU-India Connectivity Partnership, which was also agreed at the same summit, now covers many issues related to climate action, including the transition to clean energy.
According to an EU official, India has proposed to discuss the establishment of an EU-India Green Hydrogen Forum during the next EU-India Energy Panel.
“From the perspective of the EU, this may help support business-to-business cooperation to support India’s green hydrogen pilots, cooperation in regulatory frameworks, and international initiatives to certify green hydrogen,” an EU official told EURACTIV.
In addition to bilateral efforts, experts Believe The EU can also cooperate with India to develop green technologies suitable for third countries in the southern hemisphere.
Delhi may become the main beneficiary of global hydrogen energy trade and become a net energy exporter in the future, because it is one of the few countries that have announced a national hydrogen energy plan.
At the same time, the “Indo-Pacific Strategy” recently announced by the European Union shows that the European Union has a stronger goal, which is to strengthen cooperation with countries in the region.
It also specifically mentions cooperation with the Quad working group on vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies.
[Edited by Frédéric Simon]
