India and Germany renewed their joint commitment to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental concerns that are threatening the planet at the fourth Indo-German Environment Forum (IGEF) held in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meet was attended by the environment ministers of both countries.
Speaking at the forum, the Indian Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupender Yadav said that the theme of the forum, Together For More Resilience, articulates the requirement “for stronger cooperation to build climate-resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable development pathways”, says a statement from the Indian ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Yadav co-chaired the event with German minister for environment, climate protection, nature conservation and nuclear safety Carsten Schneider.
Being held since 2008, the IGEF is the highest bilateral forum between India and Germany on environmental policy. Tuesday’s meeting was organised jointly by the environment ministries of both countries in association with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
“This may be an win-win situation for two countries, and can be a template for north-south collaboration particularly in case of technology transfer,” pointed out Sanjay Vashist, director of Climate Action Network South Asia, who attended the meeting. “We expect both the countries to work for key climate actions including just transition together,” added Vashist.
India bats for practical approach to climate action
Environmental sustainability can no longer be addressed in isolation, said Yadav, and stressed the need for cooperation in this area. “Yadav called for the Indo-German Environment Forum to focus on strengthening the knowledge and evidence base for environmental decision-making, advancing practical and scalable approaches for climate, biodiversity and resource efficiency, and building stronger institutional capacities for implementation,” says the Indian environment ministry statement.
Yadav added that global cooperation on knowledge, technology and innovation would be crucial in advancing this transition.
He highlighted the potential of collaboration with India on sustainability, pointing at the fact that India’s circular economy has the potential to generate a market value of more than USD 2 trillion and create close to 10 million jobs by 2050. The minister claimed India has been consistently achieving its commitments under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ahead of schedule.
Germany hails India’s renewable energy growth
Schneider said “India’s rapid expansion of renewable energy, with solar panels and wind turbines coming up across the country, makes it a role model for other regions of the world,” says the Indian environment ministry release. “He said India was truly a country of the future, marked by a strong sense of momentum and progress and an inspiring innovative spirit among its young population,” the statement added.
The German minister mentioned that foundation of India-Germany relations were built on solid ground, with the two countries celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year. He said India and Germany shared the common goal of “ensuring that sustainable development goes hand in hand with economic growth”. He added that the two countries would develop joint projects and share knowledge and experience.
Wetlands health and green transition in focus
On the sidelines of the forum, Yadav and Schneider held a bilateral meeting and signed a joint declaration of intent (JDI) on Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands of International Importance. The JDI will “provide a platform for strengthening scientific understanding, sharing good practices in wetland management, developing restoration approaches and enhancing community participation”, Yadav said.
Earlier during the day, Yadav had addressed the Indo-German Business Forum on the sidelines of the event and spoke about the huge potential for collaboration in the green transition, particularly in renewable energy, energy storage, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, sustainable manufacturing and associated technologies. “The Indo-German partnership has a strong foundation, and both countries are working closely to strengthen economic resilience while simultaneously advancing the transition towards low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-resilient economies”, the minister said.
Opportunities, challenges in relationship
Under the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP), Germany has committed to providing Euro 10 billion by 2030 to support India’s green initiatives and has invested heavily India’s solar, wind, and green hydrogen sectors.
This partnership, focused heavily on climate-resilient urban development, includes modernising India’s power grids, building solar-powered agricultural pumps, and developing sustainable waste management systems.
Challenges remain. Roughly 90% of Euro 10 billion are soft loans that India must repay. Germany is aiming for net-zero by 2045, India by 2070.
Experts point out that Germany’s highly advanced technology may not be compatible with India’s. Most important, “India’s rapid, unplanned urbanisation and development, pollution and greenhouse gas production, which have caused severe environmental damage, may come in the way of German policies, protocols and investments,” said an expert.