G20 nations resolve to cut fossil fuel consumption at Dharamshala meet
The members of participating G20 nations also agreed to share technological innovations that take place in the next 10 years, enabling the transition away from fossil fuel in the meeting held at Dharamshala, Himachal
Participation nations, at the G20 Research Innovation and Initiative Gathering (RIIG) conference at Dharamshala on Wednesday, came together to vow cutting down on fossil fuel consumption and moving towards newer energy sources like hydrogen and ethanol in a bid to fight global warming.
The members also agreed to share technological innovations that take place in the next 10 years, enabling the transition towards bio-fuels like green hydrogen and ethanol and achieve the objective of net-zero emission.
A total of 29 foreign delegates and 30 Indian experts and invitees from various scientific departments, organisations of the Government of India participated in the conference. The meeting was chaired by department of science and technology secretary Srivari Chandrasekhar.
In his opening remarks, Chandrasekhar said, “We are at a pivotal moment in our existence where we must prioritise transitioning away from fossil fuel consumption.”
“The potential for harnessing renewable energies is great enough to meet our requirements but capturing, converting and storing them on a large scale requires a monumental effort which can be accomplished by working together,” he added.
Amb DP Srivastava, distinguished fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, delivered the keynote address on “India’s Energy Transition in a Carbon-constrained World”.
Briefing the media about the meeting, Chandrasekhar said the G20 member countries also held discussion on working on individual, bilateral and multilateral projects for de-fossilisation. He added that it would not be possible to replace the fossil fuels at once and the many G20 nations have suggested using blended fuel with up to 40% ethanol.
The next RIIG meeting will be held in Diu on the topic of scientific challenges and opportunities for a sustainable blue-economy and conclude with the RIIG Summit and research ministers meeting in Mumbai on July 5, 2023, and a joint declaration will be adopted by G20 members.
RIIG is the latest initiative of the G20 forum, which was initiated during the Indonesian presidency in 2022.
The discussions at this year’s conference were based on topics like smart energy transformation, storage and management; mission-driven research in sustainable energy transitions; policy frameworks for research and innovation in carbon-neutral energy sources and green hydrogen; and cooperation among G20 members on specific thematic areas.
The G20 countries and International Organisations which participated in the conference included Indonesia, Turkiye, United States of America (USA), Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Republic of Korea, Spain, European Union and International Solar Alliance (ISA).