New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday that despite being the fastest-growing major economy in the world, India is one of the first countries to complete the Paris commitments on green energy ahead of schedule.

He highlighted that during the G7 outreach session on energy security in Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the major challenges like ensuring energy security for future generations and emphasised the need for all countries to work together on Energy Transition and move forward in the spirit of “not me, but we”.

Under the guidance of PM Modi, today almost all the houses in India are connected to electricity. India is counted among the countries with the lowest per-unit electricity cost, the minister said.

“We are also moving fast towards the goal of Net Zero by 2070. Moving firmly towards the target of 500 GW renewable energy by 2030, India is emphasising on green hydrogen, nuclear energy, and ethanol blending for Clean Energy,” the minister said.

In his address at the G-7 outreach session, PM Modi stressed that affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy remains India’s top priority in an increasingly technology-driven world.

“In the last century, we saw competition for energy. In this century, we will have to cooperate for technology. Moving forward on the fundamental principles of availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability, India has chosen the path of inclusive development,” the Prime Minister said.

He underscored India’s clean energy initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance.

PM Modi noted that India has already fulfilled its Paris climate commitments ahead of schedule and is rapidly advancing toward its Net Zero target by 2070.

“Currently, renewable energy accounts for around 50 per cent of our total installed capacity,” he added.

PM Modi also called for global cooperation to build governance frameworks around artificial intelligence that both encourage innovation and address emerging risks.

“AI itself is an energy-intensive technology. If there is any way to sustainably fulfil the energy requirements of a technology-driven society, it is through renewable energy,” the Prime Minister had added.

–IANS

sps/vd