RK Singh Criticises Selected Countries For Putting Trade Barriers

Union Minister For New and Renewable Energy RK Singh has now targeted several countries which allegedly created trade barriers through several means to halt the growth of renewable energy. He said that such interventions often halted the global ambitions of countries to go net-zero. He also said that India too could put similar barriers. He, however, said that putting barriers could not be a solution.

The minister was addressing the International Green Hydrogen Conference in New Delhi, where he made the statement. Singh said that India is one of the leading countries in the world working towards Green Cement, Green Steel and Green Fertilizer. He said that to boost the deployment of Green Hydrogen in the country, there would be several pilot projects in the country to see the feasibility of different technologies.

"The whole world is now looking for solutions in this regard. But the solution is not to create barriers. Many such countries which talk about free trade are creating such barriers. This is shameful. If you create a barrier, you are not helping the world to move towards net-zero. If you can create barriers, we can create it too. If India sets up a barrier, the world will face the obstacle of entering the biggest market in the world. But creating barriers is not a solution. These barriers could be in the form of giving large subsidies," Singh said.

He also said that while many countries are still reluctant to adopt Green Hydrogen and talk about low-carbon solutions, India has been committed to net-zero. He also emphasized the need to build cooperation and partnership to boost the development of Green Hydrogen in India. He also batted for building a holistic approach to address the use of green fuel in the country through cross-border collaborations among stakeholders.

Singh also mentioned the importance of forming a common consensus on addressing the usage of green hydrogen and invited investors to pursue pilot projects in India. He also said that with India's vast market, it could create demand. "For a sustainable future, investment and collaboration in Green Hydrogen provide an opportunity to global scientific experts, industrial community, and academia to engage in new learning," Singh said.