India and the United Kingdom on Tuesday launched a plan to connect electricity grids across continents to speed up the global transition to clean power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the “Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid” project at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in Scotland. Eighty countries have backed the initiative.
The project will bring together “a global coalition of energy grid stakeholders”, including governments and businesses, to build the foundation for global access to sustainable energy, the UK government said.
“This will ensure the infrastructure is in place for the whole world to be powered by renewable energy, as part of the global push to realise the clean energy transition,” it added.
The project will help countries limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius while also providing an impetus to green investment and “supporting millions of jobs worldwide”, the UK government said.
At the launch of the project, Modi said that “interconnected transnational grids” are going to be critical solutions if the world has to move towards a green future.
Johnson said the UK was working with India to ensure that clean electricity is available everywhere by the end of this decade.
“It is fantastic that over 80 countries have backed our newly launched Green Grids Initiative, whose collaboration will not only see greater growth, jobs and investment in our global green future, but also make sure no one is left without access to energy,” Johnson added.
Modi and Johnson had held a meeting on Tuesday to discussed ways to improve cooperation in sectors like green hydrogen, renewable energy, clean technology, economy, and defence.
On Monday, Modi had announced that India will attain net zero carbon emissions by 2070. This is two decades later than the target set by the climate change conference.
Scientists believe that cutting global carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050 is important to meet the central goal of the Paris Agreement, which calls on nations to limit global warming to at least 2 degrees Celsius and preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial levels.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!