Guterres says he is in close contact with the US and UK to support India’s 450GW solar power target

By Yoshita Singh
United Nations, Jan 17 (PTI) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he had been in “close contact” with the US, UK and several other countries to ensure that major efforts were being made to support India in its bid to reach 450 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, saying that India does not like a coalition but has accepted several forms of bilateral support.
Guterres, in his virtual remarks at the opening of the 2022 World Economic Forum (WEF), said phasing out coal should be a priority for everyone and no new coal-fired power plants should be built.
“The United States and China have reached an agreement that I hope will provide China with more adequate technologies to accelerate the transition from coal.
“India does not like the coalition, but India has accepted several bilateral forms of support. And I have been in close contact with the United States, United Kingdom and several other countries to ensure that there is a solid plan to support India, especially in their investment for 450 gigawatts of solar energy said the UN chief.
He said Indonesia and Vietnam have already accepted the concept of a coalition supporting them to get rid of coal.
António Guterres said a number of countries have pledged to drastically reduce emissions in the 2020s, but other countries face huge structural obstacles.
“They have an energy mix that relies heavily on coal. And that’s standing in the way of progress for all of us. So they need help.
“Let’s not get into blame and shame. Let’s help, let’s help emerging economies accelerate the transition,” Guterres said, adding that he calls for the creation of coalitions with countries, governments, public and private financial institutions, investment funds and companies that have the technological know-how to provide targeted financial and technical support for each country that needs help.
Last year in October, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said that India is expected to reach 450 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030.
India has now decided to increase its solar module manufacturing capacity. The Indian government has also launched the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for manufacturing high-efficiency solar PV modules. PTI YAS CPS