India stands as global voice of reason in its commitment to pursuit of sustainable energy future: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

New Delhi [India], October 7 (ANI): Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi delievered the keynote address Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany on Monday.
During his address, he highlighted India's commitment to sustainable energy and how the renewable energy capacity of the country has increased from 75 GW to 208 GW.
"The Minister remarked that that India stands as a global voice of reason in its commitment to the pursuit of a sustainable energy future that aligns with our growth ambitions and environmental responsibilities," the ministry of New and Renewable Energy said in a statement on Monday.
"India is the only G20 country to have met its climate targets ahead of schedule, despite having the lowest per capita emissions among G20 nations," the minister remarked during his address.
Highlighting the increase in renewable energy capacity, the statement read, " under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed a transformative increase in its renewable energy capacity since 2014, with a 175% rise from 75 GW to over 208 GW today. Total RE increased from 193.5 billion units to 360 BU, marking an 86% rise during this period. Solar energy capacity has also grown 33 times in the last 10 years."
The minister also emphasised on the support of the International Solar Alliance, demonstrating India's leadership in combating climate change through solar energy.
"The Minister also drew attention to India's cultural heritage, noting that the concept of sustainability is deeply rooted in Indian tradition," the statement added.
The minister also highlighted that the country has made "significant strides" in the green shipping sector, and aims to be the top ten shipbuilding nations by 2030, and be the top five nation in the sector by 2047.
The minister also mentioned that the Indian shipyards are being modernised and older shipyards are also being evaluated whether they can be reopened to expand green shipbuilding capacity.
"India is becoming a promising hub for green shipbuilding," the minister said.
The government has started various initiatives, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), which aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.
The minister also highlighted other pilot projects under the NGHM, with also exploring the use of green hydrogen in the shipping sector.
"We are focusing on converting existing vessels to operate on green hydrogen or its derivatives. The Shipping Corporation of India is currently converting two vessels to run on green methanol," minister Joshi said. (ANI)