India to forge own path in global energy transition

India will forge its own distinct pathway in the global energy transition, with the country emerging as a “clean energy powerhouse” despite different challenges facing developing economies, a senior UN climate official said.

- Jayashree Nandi

Selwin Hart, special adviser to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on climate change, told HT in an interview on Thursday that India’s transition strategy would differ significantly from other nations, particularly given its status as a net importer of fossil fuels.

“One of the things that we've been repeatedly saying, especially for developing and emerging economies that are fossil fuel producing nations, is that their transition pathways are going to be different,” Hart said. “If you're a large fossil fuel producing nation, your transition pathway is going to be different than the transition pathway of a country that’s a net importer of fossil fuels.”

“It is not a one size fits all approach. That being said, India is a clean energy powerhouse,” Hart said, emphasising that developing and emerging economies face unique challenges in their climate strategies.