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At the International Solar Festival (ISA) here, German official Uwe Gehlen on Friday stressed the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to advance renewable energy solutions worldwide and called for greater collaboration among governments, private sector players, and civil society to effectively address the financing and expansion challenges of renewable energy.
Gehlen, is a Development Expert for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Head of Development Cooperation in India, German Embassy. The Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP) conversation series at ISA revolved around the need for innovation and financial instruments to foster development in developing countries, particularly in India. Speaking at the session, Gehlen underscored the importance of understanding the diverse conditions of different countries while addressing renewable energy issues. "When you look at financial resources, you must consider the specific conditions of the country you are addressing," he stated, emphasizing that solutions need to be tailored to each country's unique social, economic, and geographic contexts. He highlighted the necessity of engaging all stakeholders--governments, private sector players, and civil society--rather than creating new institutions or introducing isolated solutions that might not find acceptance. "We don't need to create new institutions or come up with new ideas nobody would like to have. We need to consult everyone at the table to build momentum and open the valve," Gehlen said, stressing the need for broad consensus to drive the renewable energy agenda forward. Gehlen pointed out a critical gap in the current approach to global renewable energy expansion: the lack of a common baseline system to set priorities. "What we are obviously lacking across all nations is a system baseline where we address and set the priorities," he noted, calling for a more coordinated global strategy. The GSDP was initiated in 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, providing a framework for cooperation between India and Germany in alignment with the 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the goals of the Paris Agreement. The discussion at the ISA also revolved around innovative financial instruments, such as bonds, to bring down costs and promote new technologies. The speakers, including Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General of ISA, and Shubhangi Kitchloo, a sustainability expert, highlighted the role of hybrid energy solutions, advanced business models, and the deployment of state-of-the-art renewable technologies. Gehlen emphasized that addressing the diverse opportunities for renewable energy globally requires dynamic networking and systemic adaptation. "The question is, who would be the driver and the resource of such an effort?" he posed, underlining the need for effective leadership and coordinated action in the renewable energy sector. Other panellists shared their insights into achieving net-zero targets, with a focus on hybrid energy solutions and sustainable practices. Dr. Ajay Mathur highlighted the need for greater collaboration between Germany and India in renewable energy investments, particularly in the areas of solar and Agri PV, a technology that combines agriculture and photovoltaic energy generation. He suggested that India's Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch could provide the necessary spaces for large-scale solar power projects. Shubhangi Kitchloo discussed the evolving role of sustainability reporting in driving investments in renewable energy, particularly solar. "India has the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework, which mandates the top 1000 companies by market capitalization to engage in sustainability reporting," she said. Kitchloo called for better data access to facilitate informed investment decisions. Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), highlighted India's ambitious renewable energy targets, aiming to increase non-fossil-based capacity to 500 GW by 2030. He emphasized the need for a country-specific approach to renewable energy, tailored to India's unique demographic and geographical context. "We believe that solarization of the agricultural sector is important, and we are incentivizing farmers to install solar pumps," he added, noting that bioenergy and waste-to-energy solutions also play vital roles in India's renewable energy strategy. (ANI)
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