More than 500 energy industry heavyweights and 30,000 participants will gather in the Indian city of Bengaluru on Monday to discuss the future of renewable energy and fossil fuels during India Energy Week, the country’s first major event to moments in which it occupies the presidency of the Group of the 20 main economies of the world.
Speakers will include the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, who will address the need to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
However, the overwhelming presence of stakeholders from the oil and gas industry has raised doubts from climate experts.
“This event will project India as a global power in favor of the energy transition,” said Hardeep Singhy Puri, India’s Minister of Oil and Natural Gas, whose ministry organized the meeting.
However, Puri said that “India’s clean energy goals need to be weighed against economic growth and the country’s increasing energy demand.” India will become the world’s most populous country this year, according to forecasts.
Ahead of the event, the IEA’s Birol praised India’s climate actions, saying the country “can contribute to driving the global agenda on clean energy transition and energy security, with its focus on addressing technology gaps, ensure diversified supply chains, increase the future use of clean fuels and mobilize investments.
Most of the participants in the event belong to state or private companies related to fossil fuels, which has raised concerns among climate experts.
“The expansion of the gas sector, which at least in the context of India does not make much sense, needs analysis,” said Aarti Khosla of the think tank