US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday discussed climate challenges and the forthcoming Climate Leaders’ Summit to be hosted by Washington later this month.
“Discussions centred on forthcoming Climate Leaders’ Summit as well as climate issues in the context of the COP26 to the UNFCCC which is to be held later this year,” as per a tweet from Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
Kerry also met Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh.
“Had a productive meeting with John Kerry, US Presidential Special Envoy for Climate, on collaborating on technology and finance to further develop mutually beneficial low-carbon pathways in fast-growing India’s energy market, including in gas, RE (renewable energy), biofuels and in hydrogen,” Pradhan tweeted on Wednesday.
In the meeting with Singh, the Indian side pointed out that the country’s pace of energy transition was unparalleled and its rate of growth of renewable energy was the fasted in the world and the country would keep moving on this trajectory, a source tracking the meeting said.
On Tuesday, Kerry met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to discuss ways to combat climate change concerns including need for more climate finance.
US President Joe Biden has invited 40 leaders, including Modi, to attend the Climate Summit on April 23-24. “The Leaders Summit on Climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow,” as per a recent statement issued by the White House.