New Delhi: India’s clean energy growth is like Sachin Tendulkar and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi both rolled into one – it has a stellar record but is only just getting started, said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Tuesday (July 21). Stiell, who is in India and meeting with the government and other stakeholders to discuss India’s climate action, was speaking at a press conference at the United Nations Information Centre at UN House, New Delhi.India, now a solar superpower and leader in this global trend, can benefit from investing in clean energy infrastructure and services and these could make India a “global economic giant,” he said. It is “entirely” in India’s interests to continue engaging in climate multilateralism, Stiell added.Discussions regarding India’s climate actionStiell, in his statement, said that he had met with ministers and business leaders in thStiell also mentioned that clean energy infrastructure and services are the next industrial revolution and can help India become a “global economic giant” capital over the last two days to discuss India’s climate action. These talks were “very productive,” and he is scheduled to meet more stakeholders including the private sector and non-governmental organisations in the days to come, he said. During his interaction with the press, he said that he had “a number of meetings with the minister of environment” and the ministries of power, external affairs, NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He underlined that the discussions have ranged from outlooks, to India’s preparations for the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP31, which the UNFCCC will conduct in November this year in Turkiye) in terms of global expectations for India and how India will engage with the negotiations. Stiell said he held talks to get a deeper understanding of the “incredible progress” that is taking place in India with regards to its energy transition, electrification and “significant” rollout of renewable energy. The discussions also were to understand how the opportunities are being taken advantage of by India, share that and see how others can learn from what India is doing. They revolved around challenges that India is facing including technical challenges such as grids and storage. Another challenge is climate finance, Stiell said. India is investing both public and private finance in the energy transition – through electrification, for example – in “self-interest” because these will aid India’s decarbonisation. “But India, like most developing countries, struggles for finance in areas such as adaptation where the commercial rationale is not as strong,” Stiell said.The discussions also revolved around common solutions that India can explore, problem solving in other countries that India can learn from to address these challenges, and external affairs and how India can engage with the world in this regard. “At a time where the multilateralism process is under so much stress, the doubling down of India’s commitment to the multilateral process and the work we do in the UNFCCC is also a strong discussion point,” he said.India’s clean energy growthA constant theme that ran through discussions over the last two days with ministers and business leaders was that climate action is “game-changing” for India, its economy and its people, Stiell said in his statement. “India’s clean energy growth is like Sachin Tendulkar and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rolled into one: a stellar record, but the story is just getting started – and if India keeps doubling-down on renewables and clean tech, the next chapters promise to be truly extraordinary,” he said during the press conference.Decarbonisation is central to India’s impressive development strategy, and fossil-fuel-free power now makes up half of India’s installed capacity, a milestone that India hit five years early, Stiell said, claiming that this credit goes to the Modi government, which has worked with India’s people and businesses.India’s electric vehicle sales are growing, solar capacity has increased by more than 50 times since 2014, and solar manufacturing capacity has increased 75-fold since 2014, he claimed:“India is now a solar superpower – and that’s turbocharged your economy, pushed up living standards, and saved you US$18 billion in fossil fuel purchases last year alone – according to the International Renewable Energy Agency…new data from IRENA shows India is currently the most competitive solar market in the world on generation cost, producing cheaper power that any other major economy. India is a leader in a global trend.”India’s renewable energy resources have indeed grown over the years. On two consecutive days this month (July 13 and 14), variable renewable energy (VRE) – power sources such as solar and wind which can fluctuate – crossed the 100 gigawatt (GW) threshold for the first time ever in the overall power supply pie of the country, according to one estimate. The share of VRE had touched 42.79% in the total power supply: the highest ever. Energy researchers have called this a “significant milestone” in India’s energy transition.India can become a ‘global economic giant’A global energy transition is irreversible and $3 trillion were invested last year into clean energy, Stiell said. “Globally, clean energy infrastructure and services are the next industrial revolution. Nationally, they are the fast track for India to cement itself as a global economic giant,” he added.It makes “total economic sense” for India now to move even faster to clean energy, also because of wars and conflict that has increased the costs of fossil fuel imports for countries including India, the UNFCCC executive secretary noted. And that with low monsoon rains and an El Nino at work, clean energy and resilience are vital parts of the solution – a solution that would bring greater dividends for India’s people, businesses and national finances, he said. Clean energy can deliver major budget savings and higher productivity, supporting even stronger economic growth, and at the same time, the reduced dependence on coal would mean cleaner air in towns and cities, boosting the health of millions of people.“Every step towards electrification means greater autonomy, helping to free India from volatile international energy markets, spiralling costs, and the whims of foreign powers waging unpredictable wars,” Stiell said.Clean energy is reshaping the global economy and in the global clean energy race, India has powerful competitive advantages, particularly India’s “tech-savvy workforce,” he added:“You can seize the opportunity by entrenching India as a clean energy manufacturing hub for the world by positioning yourself as a leader in areas of comparative advantage from electrotech to green steel and by supercharging clean energy investment including in grids and storage, electrifying India’s economy generating jobs and even stronger growth. UN-convened climate cooperation can help India bank these benefits.”‘In India’s interests to keep engaging’India has long been a strong partner in climate multilateralism, and it is “entirely in your interests to continue engaging”, Stiell said: “Almost eighty years since India won its independence, this nation has the chance to achieve full energy independence, and lock in a next generation of economic might.”Responding to questions from the media, Stiell also suggested that a reform in the entire COP process may be in the works. Suggestions have been put forward for this, and Stiell has engaged with an expert group to determine what such a reform could look like, he said, adding that wider consultations were required and that this could be taken to member parties towards the end of the year.