India held the 4th and last Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting in Goa. The two-day meeting comprised 115 delegates representing G20 member countries and 9 invitee countries.
They discussed critical challenges related to climate change, sustainability, energy security, equitable energy access and financing, in the context of global energy transitions. They collectively emphasized the urgent need for feasible, collaborative, and accountable policy actions to accelerate global energy transitions while ensuring universal energy access and just, affordable, and inclusive energy transitions in line with achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
There were energy ministers of 13 countries and heads of 9 international organizations in the welcome meeting which includes – India, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Kenya, Mauritius, Paraguay, Seychelles, the United States, UAE and Uganda, and international organisations such as the Biofuture Platform, International Civil Aviation Organisation, International Energy Agency, International Energy Forum, International Renewable Energy Agency, World Bank, World Biogas Association, and World Economic Forum.
Besides, the Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting has also highlighted Fuels for Future (3F) as one of the priority areas. In this context, on the sideline of the Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting a standalone event on Consultations and Recommendations for the Global Biofuels Alliance was organized in the Union Territory. The event received strong support from countries within and beyond the G20. 19 countries expressed their interest in being the initiating members of the alliance with 15 countries and nine International Organizations attending the event. This was a momentous step forward in advancing the development and deployment of biofuels through a multi-stakeholder global alliance.
“True success of Global Biofuels Alliance will depend on moving this project from government to the project of the people,” said Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Urban and Housing Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri focusing on the importance of biofuels and collaboration.
While underscoring the critical necessity for engaging in clean energy initiatives, ministers from several other countries highlighted the appeal of biofuels as a low-carbon pathway. Of them, Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy, US, remarked that the United States recognize the establishment of a Global Biofuels Alliance as a critical step in their biofuels journey and that they look forward to moving from “test tube to test drive and field to fuels”. Similarly, Mr. Alexandre Silveira de Oliveira, Minister of State of Mines and Energy, Brazil, highlighted that to meet sustainable energy needs multiple forms of energy will be required.