United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell has hailed India as a “solar superpower” and urged it to develop a more ambitious, economy-wide climate plan, asserting that a stronger commitment to the global clean energy transition will accelerate the country’s economic rise.
Speaking at the ET Global Business Summit during his visit to India, Stiell commended the nation’s proactive stance on climate change mitigation.
“While some governments only talk, India delivers,” he remarked, pointing to its progress in renewable energy and electrification.
“India is already a solar superpower, one of only four countries to have installed more than 100 gigawatts of solar. Energy access is on the rise, with villages across the country electrified by 2018, well ahead of schedule,” he stated.
Stiell emphasised that India has a unique opportunity to expand its clean energy potential further.
“Now there is a real opportunity to take the next step and unleash even bigger benefits for India’s 1.4 billion people and economy. India is already headed firmly in this direction, but an even stronger embrace of the global clean energy boom will supercharge India’s economic rise,” he said.
Highlighting India's potential to lead a new wave of green industrialisation, Stiell noted, “India has an opportunity that only a few countries have: to realise ambitious plans to deploy hundreds more gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. To lead a new wave of green industrialisation, developing, scaling, and exporting vital technologies.”
He acknowledged India's leadership in climate-conscious initiatives, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) programme, which promotes environmental sustainability and a circular economy.
“Key among them is Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in prioritising LiFE—unleashing the power of institutions, communities, and individuals to protect the environment and promote a circular economy,” he said.
In a recent statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India's significant advancements in solar energy, noting that the nation's solar energy generation capacity has increased 32 times, positioning India as the world's third-largest solar power producer.
Climate commitments and challenges
Countries are required to submit their next set of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the 2031-2035 period this year. While the February 10 deadline has lapsed, Stiell has urged nations, including India, to finalise and submit their plans by September.
An official from the Union Environment Ministry confirmed to PTI that India’s new NDCs have not yet been finalised.
“India’s new NDCs will have targets achievable with the means available. Mitigating climate change requires financial and technological support, along with other enablers. Developed countries are unwilling to provide this support. Why should countries that did not cause climate change continue to suffer?” the source said.
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The collective goal of these commitments is to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius since the industrial era, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Financing climate action
At the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan last year, developed nations were expected to propose a substantial financial package to support climate action in developing countries.
However, they committed only USD 300 billion by 2035—a figure India dismissed as “too little, too distant”, “paltry”, and an “optical illusion”.
Experts estimate that at least USD 1.3 trillion per year is required from 2025 onwards.
The government’s Economic Survey 2024-25, presented in Parliament in January, warned that inadequate funding from developed nations may force developing economies to reconsider their climate commitments.
Climate risks for India
Stiell cautioned that without robust climate action, particularly from G20 nations, the world faces severe environmental consequences.
He warned that climate disruptions could significantly impact India’s economy. “According to SwissRe, as much as 35 per cent of India’s GDP could be eroded by 2050,” he said.
He also cited the Reserve Bank of India’s concerns over climate change’s impact on financial systems, arguing that India must invest substantially in resilience measures.
Calling for a unified approach to surmount bureaucratic challenges, Stiell urged all stakeholders in India to accelerate its clean energy transition. “Electric India will never look back,” he asserted.
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