Advancing the EU-India Climate Change Dialogue

India is a major player in global efforts to combat climate change. In addition to being one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to the effects of global warming, with the country already having experienced flooding and extreme heatwaves in recent years, it is the world’s fourth largest emitter- after the European Union. Furthermore, India is set to experience significant growth in its population, economy, and energy consumption over the coming decades. A sustainable path to development in India is therefore crucial to the success of both domestic climate adaptation and global decarbonisation. In October 2015, in the run-up to the Paris conference, Narendra Modi’s government announced an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) that committed the country to reducing India’s emission intensity by 33 to 35 per cent of 2005 levels, and to producing 40 per cent of the country’s electricity from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030.

Thus, India is an important partner to the European Commission in efforts to capitalize and build on the achievements of COP21 and the signing of the Paris Agreement. Committed to prolonging its climate diplomacy engagement into 2016 and beyond, the Commission and its European External Action Service (EEAS) have taken further steps to engage with the Indian authorities on effectively addressing climate change issues. At the 13th EU-India Summit in Brussels in late March 2016, leaders from both sides prepared a Joint Declaration on a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership to initiate and foster energy-related cooperation and a dialogue on climate action, with a special focus on the implementation of India’s INDC and related mitigation and adaptation initiatives, including technology transfer and business cooperation with EU member states and businesses.

adelphi led a consortium providing technical assistance to the EEAS in organising the EU-India Climate Change Dialogue and Partnership. The general aim was to create a platform that supports both countries in exchanging knowledge, competencies, and technologies in order to gain and sustain an understanding of each other’s needs. Moreover, existing EU-India initiatives were embedded in the process to maximize synergies. To foster this inclusive dialogue, a series of expert speaker events, a study visit to Europe for Indian officials, and a closing conference took place in summer 2017. The platform approach facilitated exchange and communication between European and Indian experts, key stakeholders, and government, particularly in the field of clean energy and climate.

adelphi’s team of experts led and coordinated the project and produced initial and final reports to pool knowledge and collate findings and experiences.