G20 Energy Ministers’ Meet

July 24, 2023

GS Paper III Indian Economy

Context:

India’s Prime Minister, addressed the G20 Energy Ministers Meet in Goa.

On the sideline of the Meeting, a standalone event on Consultations and Recommendations for the Global Biofuels Alliance was organized.

Key Outcomes of the Summit:

High-Level Voluntary Principles on Hydrogen: The G20 Energy Ministers agreed on High-Level Voluntary Principles on Hydrogen, aiming to encourage the use of zero and low-carbon hydrogen in hard-to-abate sectors.

Zero and Low-Carbon Hydrogen

Different types of hydrogen production techniques that aim to reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are referred to as zero and low-carbon hydrogen, respectively.

Accelerating Energy Transitions: The Ministers emphasized the need to increase the pace of energy transitions. They acknowledged that 85% of all capacity additions in the past year were in renewables.
Energy Access: The Ministers recognized the importance of providing access to energy for all, considering that 730 million people worldwide still lack access to energy.
Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre: The International Solar Alliance launched a Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre

India’s Achievements in Energy Initiatives:

LPG Connections and Village Electricity: India connected over 190 million families with LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).The country achieved the milestone of connecting every village with electricity.
Piped Cooking Gas for 90% of Population: India is working towards providing piped cooking gas to cover more than 90 percent of the population.
World’s Largest LED Distribution Program: India launched the world’s largest LED distribution program.This initiative saves over 45 billion units of energy annually.
Agricultural Pump Solarization and Electric Vehicle Market: Initiatives like the largest agricultural pump solarization project were highlighted.India aims to achieve 10 million annual sales of domestic electric vehicles by 2030.
Rollout of Ethanol Blended Petrol: India is rolling out 20 percent Ethanol Blended Petrol across the country.The aim is to cover the entire country by 2025.
Global Hub for Green Hydrogen Production: India has ambitions to become a Global Hub for Green Hydrogen production and export.

Additional Information:

Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA):

The Energy Ministers recommended the establishment of the Global Biofuels Alliance to the G20 Leaders.
It is an international initiative aimed at promoting the development and deployment of biofuels as a low-carbon pathway to sustainable energy.
Strong Support and Participation: Nineteen countries, including India, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the United States, expressed strong support and interest in being the initiating members of the alliance.
Focus Areas and Challenges:
- Emphasized the importance of sharing best practices across policy, technology, and implementation.
- Recognized challenges like feedstock management, standards development, and technological innovations that require a collaborative approach.
- Importance of standardization, waste recycling, and investments to harness the untapped potential of biofuels highlighted.