Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi delivered the keynote address at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany on Monday.
In his speech, Joshi underscored India’s dedication to sustainable energy and highlighted the country’s growth in renewable energy capacity, which has surged from 75 GW to 208 GW.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy stated that the minister emphasized India’s role as a global advocate for sustainable energy, balancing its growth aspirations with environmental commitments. “India is the only G20 nation to have achieved its climate targets ahead of schedule, and it has the lowest per capita emissions among G20 countries,” the minister remarked.
Joshi further outlined the transformative increase in renewable energy capacity under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Since 2014, India has seen a 175% growth in renewable energy capacity, from 75 GW to over 208 GW. During this period, total renewable energy generation increased by 86%, rising from 193.5 billion units to 360 billion units. Solar energy capacity, in particular, has grown 33-fold over the past decade.
The minister also spoke about the role of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in driving India’s leadership in solar energy and addressing climate change.
Additionally, Joshi highlighted India’s cultural heritage, noting that the principles of sustainability are deeply embedded in Indian traditions.
On the topic of green shipping, the minister pointed out that India has made significant progress and aims to be among the top 10 shipbuilding nations by 2030, and among the top five by 2047. He also mentioned that Indian shipyards are being modernized, with older facilities being assessed for potential reopening to boost green shipbuilding capacity.
“India is emerging as a promising hub for green shipbuilding,” the minister stated.
Joshi also outlined several government initiatives, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), which aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. He highlighted ongoing pilot projects under the NGHM and mentioned efforts to explore green hydrogen use in the shipping sector.
“We are working on converting existing vessels to operate on green hydrogen or its derivatives. The Shipping Corporation of India is currently converting two vessels to run on green methanol,” he added.
