UN Climate Chief in Delhi today: 'In the global clean energy race, India has powerful competitive advantages'

Below are remarks from UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell delivered at an in-person press conference in Delhi, India, on Tuesday 21 July 2026.

Good afternoon.

I'm delighted to be back in India.

I've had very productive talks with ministers and business leaders over the past two days, with more coming up.

A constant theme runs through the discussions:

Climate action is game-changing for India, its economy and its people.

I'm from the Caribbean - a fellow cricket-loving region, so let me use an analogy:

India's clean energy growth is like Sachin Tendulkar and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ... rolled into one: a stellar record, but the story is just getting started - and if India keeps doubling down on renewables and clean tech, the next chapters promise to be truly extraordinary.

Decarbonisation is central to India's impressive development strategy. Which is forging a new path for others to follow.

And fossil-fuel-free power now makes up half of India's installed capacity - a milestone you've hit five years early.

Credit goes to the Modi government, working with India's people and businesses.

India's EV sales are growing - led by national champions like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and JSW MG Motor India.

And solar installed capacity has surged more than 50 times since 2014.

India is now a solar superpower - that has turbocharged your economy, pushed up living standards, and - along with other renewables - saved you US$18 billion in fossil fuel purchases last year alone - according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

India's solar manufacturing capacity has increased 75-fold since 2014.

New data from IRENA shows India is currently the most competitive solar market in the world on generation cost, producing cheaper power than any other major economy.

India is a leader in a global trend.

As every nation declared unanimously at COP30, the global energy transition is now irreversible. Last year, over US$2 trillion was invested in clean energy.

Globally, clean energy, infrastructure and services are the next industrial revolution.

Nationally, they are the fast track for India to cement itself as a global economic giant.

And it makes total economic sense to move even faster to clean energy - in India and around the world.

Conflict has exacted a terrible human toll, and sent fossil fuel cost chaos reverberating through the global economy.

And tragically it's not over yet.

The brutal costs of fossil fuel imports have hit all nations hard, including India, which imports 90% of its crude oil.

For all nations, oil and gas import vulnerability means supplies disrupted and prices rising when crises hit.

That means fuel and fertiliser supplies constricted. And higher bills for businesses everywhere, and billions of households across the globe.

Global heating compounds these pressures. And it's inflicting large-scale suffering across every region of the world, including Asia, where devastating heat is claiming lives and livelihoods.

Monsoon rains are lacking, and El Niño is biting, threatening harvests with failure, and households with rising costs.

Clean energy and resilience are vital parts of the solution.

And - as in all countries - the faster and stronger your climate action, the more lives and livelihoods will be protected, as climate-driven disasters get rapidly worse, and the greater the dividends for India's people, businesses and national finances.

Accelerating the shift to clean energy - and reducing dependence on coal - means cleaner air in towns and cities, boosting the health of millions of people.

That can deliver major budget savings, and higher productivity, supporting even stronger economic growth.

As Minister Pralhad Joshi has said, renewables mean lower bills, and greater energy security - which can enhance food security and health.

Clean technologies protect households and businesses from fossil fuel cost chaos, and boost economic stability, and national sovereignty.

Every step towards electrification means greater autonomy - helping to free India from volatile international energy markets, spiralling costs, and the whims of foreign powers waging unpredictable wars.

Every solar panel installed moves India closer to energy independence and even greater economic strength.

Colleagues, friends,

The world has reached an historic point on climate.

Because humanity continues to burn vast amounts of coal oil and gas, we are hurtling towards negative tipping points for our climate, and the ecosystems we depend on.

But we are also hurtling towards positive economic tipping points, in the shift from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy.

This is reshaping the global economy.

And in the global clean energy race, India has powerful competitive advantages - particularly your tech-savvy workforce.

You can seize the opportunity, by entrenching India as a clean tech manufacturing hub for the world.

By positioning yourself as a leader in areas of comparative advantage - from electro-tech to green steel.

And by supercharging clean energy investment - including in grids and storage - and electrifying India's economy - generating jobs and even stronger growth.

UN-convened climate cooperation can help India bank these benefits.

Over the years, climate multilateralism has unleashed the global energy revolution, which last year saw renewables overtake coal as the world's top electricity source.

Today, the COP process is boosting its focus on implementation, to turn commitments into projects on the ground, and more real-world benefits for billions more people,

We have recently operationalised the UN carbon market - which can provide significant new funds for developing economies.

And we are elevating the Global Climate Action Agenda within our process.

This vital part of the Paris Agreement machinery brings together governments, business, investors, and civil society to turn climate targets into real-world results.

The Turkish COP31 Presidency has announced Action Agenda targets for this year.

That includes raising the share of final energy demand met by electricity to 35% by 2035.

This focus on electrification at COP31 is a clear opportunity for India:

To build on the immense advances you have made - particularly on electricity access and clean cooking.

And to boost progress towards electrifying transport - including initiatives like Delhi's new EV policy.

International climate finance is vital for developing countries.

All commitments must be honoured, and honoured in full.

Developed countries must triple adaptation finance and deliver $300 billion a year by 2035, as part of a clear pathway to $1.3 trillion a year.

And together, through international cooperation, we must continue to accelerate the global shift to clean, resilient economies.

India has long been a strong partner in climate multilateralism.

And it's entirely in your interests to continue engaging.

Almost eighty years since India won its independence, this nation has the chance to achieve full energy independence, and lock in a next generation of economic might.

I thank you.