India, 21 others to explore more ways for clean energy transition
“The lights are going out on the fossil fuel era,” UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said on Friday, as he called on nations to ensure that power generation from fossil fuels from 60% to 30% by the end of this decade.
In his address to the newly-established panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, Guterres said that delaying tactics from the fossil fuel industry cannot change the need for transition to renewable sources of energy.
“Delaying tactics from the fossil fuel industry can’t change that (transition). Misinformation, distortion, and spin can’t change that – no matter how many billions of dollars are thrown at them,” Guterres said.
Guterres has convened the panel to bring together a diverse group of governments and other stakeholders across the entire minerals value chain to develop a set of global common and voluntary principles to safeguard environmental and social standards and embed justice, in the energy transition, a statement from UNSG’s office said.
India is a member of the panel along with 22 other nations: African Union, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, European Union, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Namibia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, United States of America, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The panel is co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission, and will seek to address issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights.
Responding to calls from developing countries for globally agreed guidance to ensure responsible, fair and just value chains, the UN-convened panel brings together governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, industry, and civil society organisations.