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From the 7th to the 10th of November, seven MPs from the Climate Parliament's India chapter visited Germany to learn more about the country's experiences with the renewable energy transition (Energiewende) and climate protection policies.
As India plans to implement its own sustainable low-carbon initiatives, the parliamentarians have been keen to get impulses from Germany on how to support the market development of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office, the Renewables Academy (RENAC) in cooperation with the international parliamentary network Climate Parliament compiled a programme, which presented Germany’s energy and climate policies from the legislative and the executive perspectives. The trip included visits to four federal ministries and a regulator, as well as meetings with representatives from private industry, the finance sector, think-tanks and civil society.
The delegation consisted of members of different political parties in India with the common goal of “bringing renewable energy to India as fast as possible”, as formulated by Mr. Rakesh Singh, a delegation member from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Other delegation MPs included Mr. Vincent Pala (Indian National Congress), Mr. P. V. Midun Reddy (Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party), Mr. Arka Keshari Deo (Biju Janata Dal), Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (All India Trinamool Congress), Mr. Conrad Kongkal Sangma (National People Party) and Mrs. Riti Pathak (Bharatiya Janata Party). “This trip has been a fantastic experience”, said Mr. Vincent Pala, “we have the knowledge now to advise others about the benefits of renewable energy for our country”.
Among other institutions, the MPs visited the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). They also held meetings with representatives from different political parties at the German Parliament, with the energy think-tank Agora Energiewende, with the Federation of German Industries and the German Solar Association. During a field trip, the MPs also had the opportunity to see renewable energy installations in operation at the village of Feldheim, which is fully self-sufficient in terms of its energy supply.
With vast natural resources, India presents excellent conditions for the successful deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many advantages renewable energy could bring to the country, all MPs have highlighted that these technologies enable electricity access, cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution levels in the air and contribute to job creation. As highlighted by Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, “capacity building is essential for the growth of the renewable energy industry”. With the right know-how, it will be possible to leverage its enormous potential.
RENAC, based in Berlin, is a leading international provider of training and capacity building in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Since 2008, RENAC has worked with more than 6,800 participants from 145 countries worldwide.