‘Roadmap 2030’ : New India-UK Partnership Against Climate Change

At the India-UK Virtual Summit (Roadmap 2030 for a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership) held on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed off on a new shared roadmap which will pave the way for a stronger engagement over the next decade in the key areas of people to people contacts, trade and economy, defence and security, climate action and health. It includes measures to help limit global temperature rises and support the communities most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

The ambitious ‘Roadmap 2030’ was adopted at the Summit to elevate bilateral ties to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’, which comprises plans to combat climate change by 2030, a new collaboration on clean energy transition and protecting forests, and a joint leadership to develop resilient infrastructure in climate vulnerable countries.

According to a joint statement released by the two countries and published by the Ministry of External Affairs of India, the two leaders agreed on a new partnership on renewables and power, including offshore wind, energy efficiency and storage and electric mobility, and to explore joint work on green hydrogen. They agreed to announce a Green Grids Initiative at COP26 and to promote climate resilient infrastructure through a new facility for Small Island Developing States under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and to launch a India-UK Partnership on Forests. They also agreed to explore enhanced partnerships with major private finance leaders to mobilise both public and private finance.

The roadmap lays out important goals for the upcoming ‘2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference’ (COP26). According to the British High Commission, both Modi and Johnson reaffirmed their personal commitment to work together for an ambitious outcome at the COP26 Climate Summit in November and sustained action beyond. The new partnership aims to help deliver India’s vision of One Sun One World One Grid, and launch a new phase of collaboration on the India Energy Security Scenarios Calculator initiative, to support climate policy and planning.

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma, said, “The UK and India share a longstanding partnership and I am greatly encouraged by the steps we have taken today to bolster our joint efforts on tackling climate change. If the world is to become net zero by the middle of the century and keep 1.5 degrees in reach, everyone must work together to make real change for a cleaner, greener planet. I am proud of the close collaboration on this crucial issue which our two countries have forged, especially during this very difficult time for India as it battles with Covid.”

India and the UK have also welcomed climate action by businesses and encouraged other companies to do the same. Businesses which have recently made Net Zero commitments through the UN’s ‘Race to Zero’ campaign include the Neev Fund, Engineering Export Promotion Council of India, Gayam Motor Works, M/s Claro Energy Ltd, Commonwealth Inclusive Growth Services Ltd, Evolve India, Suryadesh, Rolls Royce, Diageo and Grundfos Pumps India Pvt. Ltd.