India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership

In News

• Recently, India and Denmark agreed to further strengthen the Green Strategic Partnership with a focus on green hydrogen, renewable energy and wastewater management. 

Major Highlights of the Meeting

• Focus on various sectors
  • A number of agreements covering sectors such as green shipping, animal husbandry and dairying, water management, energy, and cultural exchange were inked after the bilateral talks.
• Smart Laboratory on Clean River Water and a Centre of Excellence on Smart Water Resources Management:
  • Both countries welcomed the intention of both countries to deepen and expand the existing cooperation in the field of safe and secure water to meet present and future demand through a holistic and sustainable approach.
  • They are looking forward to launching new initiatives, including a Smart Laboratory on Clean River Water in Varanasi and a Centre of Excellence on Smart Water Resources Management.
• Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping:
  • Both countries welcomed the Letter of Intent on the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping, which will further strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation.
• Centre of Excellence on Dairy:
  • They also agreed to expand the cooperation on agriculture by a Joint Declaration of Intent establishing among others a Centre of Excellence on Dairy.
• International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions:
  • India and Denmark also confirmed their continued collaboration in the field of antimicrobial resistance.
  • India conveyed its acceptance of the Danish invitation to join the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) as a Mission Partner.
• Global Digital Health Partnership:
  • Denmark confirmed its accession to the Global Digital Health Partnership on India’s invitation to improve public health and well-being through evidence-based digital technologies.
• Climate action
  • They welcomed the international agreement at COP26 on the need for accelerated climate action for holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below two degrees above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.

Green Strategic Partnership

• India and Denmark both have ambitious goals within the climate agenda.
• India is the world’s third-largest CO2 emitter and by 2030, the country is expected to have doubled its carbon emissions.
• Denmark has the ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 and aims to undertake international leadership on SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy.
• By partnering, India and Denmark will demonstrate to the world that delivering on ambitious climate and sustainable energy goals is possible.
• The Green Strategic partnership builds on and consolidates the existing agreement establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation between India and Denmark.
• Joint action plan for five years from 2021 to 2026 for the implementation of the “green strategic partnership that was firmed up.

Significance of Green Strategic Partnership

• Energy efficiency and renewable energy:
  • To take global leadership in pushing for an ambitious green energy transition and demonstrate the pathways to achieving it, focusing both on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
• Fighting air Pollution:
  • Denmark’s companies with niche technologies and expertise have offered to help India in meeting its air pollution control targets, including in the key area of tackling the problem of burning crop stubble.
• Green growth:
  • The partnership is a mutually beneficial arrangement to advance political cooperation, expand economic relations and green growth, create jobs and strengthen cooperation on addressing global challenges and opportunities; with focus on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Promote a rule-based multilateral system:
  • This includes strong multilateral cooperation to face the urgency to step up global efforts to combat the global challenges on energy and climate change and common commitment to the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the International Solar Alliance.
• Sharing healthy best practices:
  • Expanding dialogue and sharing best practices on health policy issues, including on epidemics and vaccines, especially to combat Covid-19 and future pandemics.
  • They agreed to work on expanding commercial opportunities for businesses by creating more favourable environments for the life science sector, including research collaborations.

Way Ahead

• Continue to expand the scope of the cooperation, adding new dimensions to it. 
• Initiate new partnerships in the field of health. 
• By partnering, India and Denmark will demonstrate to the world that delivering on ambitious climate and sustainable energy goals is possible.

Source: TH