Advancing the Indo-German Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development (GSDP), the German Embassy, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), unveiled the ‘GSDP Conversation Series’ in New Delhi on 22 March.
In the first edition of GSDP Conversation Series, under triangular cooperation, India and Germany join forces with third countries to provide localized solutions to global environmental challenges.
With its roots stretching back to the agreement signed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on 2 May, 2022, the inaugural event of the GSDP Conversation Series focused on ‘Triangular Cooperation’ wherein India and Germany join forces with third countries to devise localized solutions to global environmental challenges.
The first edition of the Conversation Series revolved around issues such as green energy, urban sustainability, and climate resilience, with a special focus on countries including Cameroon, Peru, Ghana, Benin, and Malawi.
“Germany is India’s strong and longstanding partner for a sustainable future. This partnership combines all our strengths in the areas of combating climate change, green energy, mobility, biodiversity and nature protection”, said the German Ambassador to India, Dr. Philipp Ackermann. He further said, “GSDP stands for Green and Sustainable Development Partnership. With this partnership, India, and Germany – two economic powerhouses are joining forces to develop solutions for climate change and sustainable development. Together, as partners on an equal footing, we want to make real progress in finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges the world faces.”
Goals Aligning with UN 2030 Agenda:
The GSDP aligns with key global agendas, including the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Promoting renewables and green hydrogen, building climate friendly cities, promoting wider use of electric vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transforming agriculture and food systems towards sustainability, reducing plastic waste, and boosting innovation and business models to design reusable products, are amongst the top priorities of the GSDP.
To implement the priority areas of the GSDP, India and Germany have several formats such as the Indo-German Energy Forum, which established the Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task Force in 2022, in order to contribute to India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Germany has committed at least 10 billion euros to support India under the GSDP until 2030. “In this spirit, Germany has fulfilled its yearly commitment and has already provided more than EUR 2 billion for 2022 and 2023 in projects encompassing the sustainable use of natural resources, transition to renewable energy, and green urban development”, added Dr. Philipp Ackermann.
Going Beyond Bilateral Cooperation:
Under the Triangular Cooperation initiative, both India and Germany will collaborate with countries in Asia, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific region to create a framework for shared experiences and expertise in order to achieve the climate and sustainability targets.
“The Triangular Cooperation supports the strengthening of strategic partnerships for SDGs between countries, promotes South-South cooperation, and opens new spaces for synergies and innovation”, said Dr Julie Reviere, Country Director at GIZ India.
The two countries have also been part of multilateral initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the InsuResilience Global Partnership.
The first edition of the series saw the participation of panelists including Shuchita Kishore, Director, Europe West, Ministry of External Affairs, Dr. Julie Reviere, Country Director India, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Sangeeta Agasty, Regional Director, International Bamboo and Rattan Organization and Dr. Kalpana Sastry, Managing Director, Ag-Hub Foundation.
“Today’s discussion, the first in the series of GSDP Conversations, is an important step in highlighting the achievements of Indo-German Development Cooperation with Government of India implementing partners and in strengthening discussions among all key stakeholders interested in Triangular Cooperation”, said Dr Reviere.
The Conversation Series is set to continue across various Indian cities six times a year. The German Government is also planning to launch a dedicated GSDP website and dashboard in 2024. The next cabinet-level consultations are scheduled for the last quarter of 2024, wherein both governments will conduct a review and adopt new initiatives to further the GSDP.