India ‘uniquely positioned’ to lead global energy transition to renewable sources: senior UN official

India is uniquely positioned to lead the ‘inevitable and unstoppable’ global energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable sources, according to a top United Nations climate official.

Selwin Hart, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, delivered a special address at the second edition of Bharat Climate Forum, held in New Delhi today.

The Forum, a day-long series of high-level dialogues on India’s climate goals and ambitions for cleaner technology, is organized by the Council for International Economic Understanding (CIEU) and Dalberg Advisors. It brings together government leaders, industry figures and institutional heads, as well as experts.

Mr. Hart told the Forum that the world was changing its energy system “not out of idealism, but out of necessity and opportunity.” He said climate considerations alone were no longer driving the energy transition, but rather “cost, affordability, access, competitiveness, resilience and energy security”.

Mr. Hart noted that countries that lead this transition will shape the industries, supply chains, and growth models of the future, whereas those that lag will remain exposed to volatility, pollution, and declining competitiveness.

“India is uniquely positioned to lead,” he said. “Over the past decade, India has rapidly scaled up renewable energy deployment, driven down costs, and expanded its manufacturing capacity. India is now among the world’s fastest-growing clean energy markets, with solar and wind expanding at record levels.”

The Special Adviser noted that, as an example, in 2010-11, India’s installed solar capacity stood at around 32 megawatts. By this month installed solar capacity has surged to around 130 gigawatts. That is more than a 3000-fold increase in a decade and a half.

He also praised India for its leadership, with initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and by mobilizing countries across the Global South to accelerate solar deployment, share best practices and build institutional capacity.

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