As part of the India-US initiative to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement, both countries on Monday launched the joint Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) “India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030” here.

The CAFMD dialogue was launched by India’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and the US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry.

The launch of the dialogue was a sequel to the Agenda 2030 partnership launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden at the April 2021 Leaders’ Summit on Climate.

Speaking on the occasion India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India was committed to combat climate change at the highest level. He also said India was committed to fulfill its promises in this regard made to the international community.

Yadav said the government was “addressing the challenges of climate change through several key initiatives.” He said the Indian government was working proactively in the promotion of low carbon and sustainable lifestyle and this action was translated into the country’s multiple policies and programmes aimed at synchronizing development and climate change action at the national, state and local levels.

Bhupender Yadav said  India’s economy was increasingly getting greener through such conscious initiatives towards increased energy efficiency, increasing the share of renewable energy in the national mix and increasing the forest cover. He said all these steps were being taken while simultaneously meeting the developmental challenges and in a sustainable manner.

John Kerry said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set ‘a very ambitious target in India. The target of 450 GW by 2030 of renewable energy is one of the most powerful goals set in the world. You have already reached about 100 GW. I congratulate India for reaching that remarkable milestone.”

The US Special President envoy appreciated India’s ability to demonstrate that economic development and clean energy could go hand in hand. “We are absolutely confident that the 450 Giga Watts as a goal can and will be reached and we look forward to partnering with India in the contest of what we are talking about here today in order to bring finance, technology and other elements to the table in order to achieve it,” John Kerry said.  “I look forward to seeing this ambition hopefully given its proper due credit at the COP 26 in Glasgow,” he further added.

Kerry said there was a major opportunity for both the countries to coordinate in a way that bilateral investment in trade and clean energy products expanded for the economic benefits of the two countries.