Katherina Reiche at the German-Indian intergovernmental consultations in New Delhi
"India is one of the biggest growth markets for renewable energies worldwide. Substantial opportunities open up especially for German companies. The use of renewable energies will generate a host of benefits for India's energy suppliers - this goes from responsible resource management to climate protection", outlined Katherina Reiche, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry on the occasion of the German-Indian intergovernmental consultations in New Delhi.
Reiche will hold talks with the Indian Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, and the Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farouq Abdullah. She will opt for the use of renewable energy sources in India. Reiche will also stress the importance of reliable framework conditions and adherence to the principles of legal certainty. "Wind energy, solar power and bioenergy can also play a vital role in energy supply in India. They also open up new development opportunities for rural areas. Germany can be an important partner here", outlined Reiche.
Further topics are global climate protection and the UN Climate Conference in Durban, South Africa, at the end of this year. In 2012 India will host the UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and will hold the presidency of the UN CBD in the two years to follow. For this reason biological diversity is another item on the agenda. Reiche also promotes Germany as a UN location for the international IPBES Secretariat (Intergovernmental Science - Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service).
The first German-Indian intergovernmental consultations will take place in New Delhi on 31 May, 2011.