Piyush Goyal Addresses Columbia India Energy Dialogue

Piyush Goyal addressed the Columbia India Energy Dialogue in New Delhi today, where he highlighted India’s leadership role in the global energy transition and reiterated the country's commitment to inclusive and equitable climate action.

In his address, Shri Goyal underscored the collective responsibility of all nations in tackling climate change. “At the end of the day, the energy transition is something we all must contribute to. While the level and speed of transition will differ based on the developmental stage of each country, the commitment must be universal,” he said.

The Minister stressed that climate change is a real and urgent challenge and that each nation must craft its own unique solutions. “Pathways may be different, but the recognition of the problem is universal. India has consistently taken a leadership position. I suspect COP21 would not have had any concrete outcome without Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi rallying the Global South and making them part of the solution rather than being adversaries to it,” he stated.

Shri Goyal lamented that the promises made by developed nations at the Paris Agreement have largely remained unfulfilled. “Since 2015, the larger issue has not just been climate change, but the failure of the developed world to deliver on technology transfers, long-term concessional climate financing, and support under the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR),” he said.

Highlighting India's achievements, Shri Goyal said, “India accounts for only 3% of global carbon emissions despite supporting 17% of the world’s population. We achieved our 2030 renewable energy target of 200 GW in 2022 itself—eight years ahead of schedule. Solar power alone has grown over 30 times in the last decade. India continues to submit its reports to the UNFCCC on time, setting an example for global compliance.”

The Minister emphasized the critical need to address the root causes of carbon emissions, particularly overconsumption and waste. “Excess consumption, especially in high-prosperity nations, leads to systemic carbon emissions—from farm to plate. Every step—production, packaging, transport, storage, and disposal—adds to emissions. This behavioural pattern must be addressed,” he added.

Reiterating India’s commitment to the clean energy transition, Shri Goyal highlighted the achievement of a 500-gigawatt interconnected national grid. This was made possible by Prime Minister Modi’s 2014 initiative to connect all regional grids and invest billions of dollars in creating a unified national power infrastructure.

He emphasized that this grid not only ensures 24/7 access to affordable energy across the country, but also strengthens the system to accommodate significantly more clean energy. In addition, India has prepared a robust framework for data centres, ensuring high levels of redundancy, reliability, and resilience. This, Shri Goyal noted, will boost economic growth, create opportunities for clean energy integration, and attract global investments.

Speaking on innovation and technology, Shri Goyal said that India has made rapid advances in sectors such as LED lighting, which witnessed one of the fastest revolutions globally, and is promoting electric mobility, green hydrogen, biofuels, ethanol blending and green ammonia. “India is rapidly emerging as a global destination for clean energy-powered data centres, with strong redundancies, reliability, and resilience built into our grid infrastructure,” he added.

Calling for global cooperation, the Minister urged Columbia University to collaborate with Indian Institutes of Eminence and consider setting up a campus in India. “This will benefit your students, open up vast opportunities, and further strengthen our knowledge partnership,” he said.

Shri Goyal concluded by asserting that India is engaging with the world from a position of strength, not shying away from change or competition. “India will be a friend and a partner in the shared prosperity of the world. We will not just participate in the global clean energy movement—we will lead it,” he affirmed.