After successfully hosting the 1st Finance & Central Bank Deputies Meeting and 1st Framework Working Group Meeting, Bengaluru is all set to host the first G20 Energy Transition Working Group (ETWG) Meeting under India’s Presidency from February 5-7. The meeting will have over 150 participants including G20 member countries, and nine special invitee guest countries namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, UAE and Spain.
In addition, leading international organizations such as The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Energy Agency (IEA), Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), International Solar Alliance (ISA), United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), RD20 and knowledge partners will be part of the Meeting. Senior government officials from the concerned Ministries will also participate in the ETWG Meeting.
Agenda of the Meeting
The 3-day meeting will focus on six priority areas. These include-
i) Energy transition through addressing technology gaps
ii) Low-cost financing for energy transition
iii) Energy security and diversified supply chains
iv) Energy efficiency, industrial low carbon transitions and responsible consumption
v) Fuels for Future (3F) and
vi) Universal access to clean energy and just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition pathway
In addition to the discussions, the delegates will also visit Infosys Green Building Campus and Pavagada Solar Park to see first-hand India’s push towards renewable sector and efforts to mitigate climate change. The delegates will also get to experience the rich cultural heritage, art, culture, and cuisine of Karnataka.
Ministry of Power, the nodal Ministry for ETWG will lead the discussions and negotiations on focused priority areas. Under India’s Presidency, four ETWG meetings, various side events and a Ministerial Meeting are also in plan.
Sideline events
On the sidelines, the ETWG meeting will also be complemented by a high-level international seminar on ‘Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS).’ The focus of the seminar will be on highlighting the importance of carbon capture, utilization, and storage, considered vital for achieving net-zero targets.
The event will also witness deliberations upon the challenging aspects of the clean energy transition and the role of CCUS in addressing them while examining various technological aspects of the value chain, from capturing to storage and utilization pathways. The event will enable sharing of knowledge from successful initiatives that can be replicated across emerging economies.
India has been a global voice when it comes to clean energy. India’s G20 Presidency will build upon the efforts and outcomes of previous presidencies, which have successfully advanced the cause of global cooperation in clean energy transition and have made it central to the agenda of sustainable economic development.
