India reaffirms commitment to pursue green path to growth  

San Francisco, June 3: India has reaffirmed its commitment to pursue a green path to growth as leaders of 20 countries and the European Union gathered here for the seventh Clean Energy and the inaugural Mission Innovation ministerials.

At the inaugural Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial, ministers from all Mission Innovation partners released their respective governments' plans to double clean energy research and development funding over five years.

The Indian delegation at the ministerial is being led by Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan. Ministers welcomed the European Commission on behalf of the European Union as the 21st partner in the initiative.

At the inaugural Mission Innovation, the 21 partners each pledged to seek a doubling in their governmental and/or state-directed clean energy research and development investment over five years, reaching around a combined US 30 billion per year by 2021.

These efforts under Mission Innovation represent an unprecedented acceleration of research and development efforts for innovative clean energy technologies.

Ministers also met with leaders of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition and other leading energy investors, underscoring the critical link between government innovation and entrepreneurship to bring affordable clean energy technologies to market.

"I am pleased to note that Ministers have endorsed the recommendations made by MI countries and subgroups will now work together to lead the objective of Mission Innovation," Vardhan said. "I would like to reaffirm India's commitment to pursue green path to growth through Research Innovation and Joint Collaboration," he said.

During the meeting, Vardhan announced India's current investment (USD 72 million) and doubling plan (USD 145 million) in Clean Energy Research.

A formal announcement on new joint collaborations with Mission Innovation Countries was also made by him.

India has launched a number of collaborative research and development efforts to pursue research in solar energy, energy efficiency, advanced biofuels, electrical transmission and storage with the US, the UK, Australia, Norway, South Korea and many other countries.

Vardhan also announced expanding India's collaboration with the UK through setting up of a Joint virtual Clean Energy Centre to address the challenges to intermitting solar energy and launching a new Research Track on Smart Energy Grids and Energy Storage under Indo-US PACE-R (Partnership to Advance Clean Energy -- Research).

During the ministerial, each government also provided information on national clean energy needs, plans, priorities, and supporting policies and programmes for clean energy innovation. A series of webinars over the coming months will provide an in-depth look on a country-by-country basis.

PTI