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NEW DELHI:European Commission President Ursula von der LeyenSunday’s list included climate change and The Ukraine crisis as factors driving Europe’s quest for renewable energy, a field in which the European Union (EU) and India need to step up their cooperation.
Ursula von der Leyen met with children at Haryana’s TERI Gram campus. This campus is dedicated to developing green technologies. She also addressed a gathering at headquarters of the International Solar Alliance, which was jointly launched in India and France.
During her address to ISA, von der Leyen mentioned that India and Europe are committed to becoming climate neutral by 2050. India has also committed that it will generate half its energy from renewable sources in 2030. Europe has made similar goals. Both sides believe solar energy can play a crucial role in these efforts.
She also noted India’s energy use doubled in the past two decades and will continue to grow, reflecting that the country’s economy is doing well. “But it also, of course, shows the urgency for our transformation to clean and sustainable ways of doing business and using that energy,” she said.
The European Commission President said while the month of March 2022 was the hottest in 122 years, the EU too is experiencing droughts, deadly flooding, wildfires and hurricanes in regions “where we never ever had these extreme weather phenomena”.
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At the same time, she said, a second reason for switching to “home-grown clean energies” is the war that “Russia has unleashed against Ukraine”.
“For us Europeans, it is a stark reminder that our dependency on Russian fossil fuels is not sustainable. Because how can you do business with someone who openly threatens Europe and wages war against one of your closest neighbours,” she added.
In this context, the EU’s transition to renewable energy is good for the environment and a “strategic investment in security”, she said.
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“Because every kilowatt-hour of electricity we generate from solar, wind, hydropower or biomass reduces our dependency on fossil fuels in general. This is why the European Commission will present next month a new solar strategy of the EU, as part of REPowerEU,” she said.
Noting that India is on the same path as the EU, she stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear that India should be independent of energy before it celebrates 100 Years of Independence in 2047.
“So it is in our common interest that this independence of fossil fuel that comes from abroad is a transformation into renewable and clean energy,” von der Leyen said.
