Keynote Speech by Commissioner Simson at the EU – India Solar Energy Event

Good afternoon everybody, Minister Khuba, Ladies and gentlemen.

It's a real pleasure to be here with you today.

First, let me thank all the co-organisers of this gathering: this is an event about a pivotal technology at a pivotal time.

All of here today understand how precious solar energy is. Both India and the EU have our sights set on net zero.

The EU by 2050, and India by 2070. And India has committed to producing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy by 2030.

So, each region has a clear ambition when it comes to decarbonising our world. But what's clear to me is that while we can go far if we go alone, we will go further together.

And that need to go further has never been greater.

This year you experienced the hottest March in over one hundred and twenty years.

And we have witnessed the huge suffering and loss that goes with it.

We are seeing extreme weather also in Europe, with a historic draught in the Southern EU countries.

If we do not put all our efforts into decarbonising, we face the possibility that this extraordinarily warm year becomes the coolest year of the next one hundred and twenty.

This is one strong argument for solar. And I'm sure those of you in the room today agree with me.

But there is another. The role of renewables has become even more significant because of another tragedy, this one political. Russia's war against Ukraine.

There was a time when people thought that renewables were less reliable than fossil fuels. But the past six months have taught us that being dependent on fossil fuels, especially those from Russia, is unpredictable and unsustainable.

Moving to renewables is not just a good idea for our environment, today and tomorrow. It's also a continuous strategic investment in security. Because every kilowatt-hour of electricity we generate from solar, wind, hydropower or biomass is one less that we rely on fossil fuels for.

I know independence, in every form, is high on the agenda for this country.

In 2047 you will celebrate a century of India's independence. And I know that Prime Minister Modi has announced that your country should be energy independent by then. So, it is in our common interest that we evolve from our old ways of polluting to newer cleaner sources. And solar can be central to that evolution. 

The EU and India are very much on the same page here.

The EU has been, from the beginning, a strong supporter of the International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris. More and more EU Member States are joining this important new organisation, based in India. I am therefore very happy to also have the Director General of the ISA, Dr Mathur speaking at today's event, opening the session on the need to diversify the global supply chain.

Let me briefly tell you about what our plans for solar are on the EU side. And where we believe we can make the most difference.

A few months ago we brought forward our REPowerEU package. As part of that, we aim to be at 45% renewable energy in our mix by 2030. A central tenet of the package that goes a long way to making this goal a reality is the EU Solar Strategy.

With it, we want to get from 136 GW of installed PV in the EU two years ago

to 320 GW by 2025

and to 600 GW by 2030.

These are big leaps.

136 GW to 600 GW in just ten years. But our strategy has four key areas that help us do it.

First, by promoting massive deployment on buildings through a European Solar Rooftops Initiative.

Second, we know that creating the demand is only part of the task. We also need to find a way around what is preventing industry from getting projects off the ground. So our strategy aims to make permitting procedures for solar installations shorter and simpler.

Third, we want to invest more in the people side of things. We will ensure an ample and skilled workforce for producing and deploying solar energy across the EU.

And finally, industry. We are launching an European Solar PV Industrial Alliance. We want a resilient value chain, especially when it comes to manufacturing.

This last point of course is topical for today. Energy is not only a resources issue, it's a geopolitical one. And this meeting point of energy, technology and trade is shifting.

Until now, we all know that manufacturing for solar PV has largely been dominated by one country.

But putting all our eggs in one basket is a risky strategy. Especially when the stakes are so high for the energy transition. These days we live in a multi-polar world. If renewables are the future then how we source them should reflect that.

Broadening the manufacturing market will decentralise this technology for future generations. And it will help to boost both Indian and EU economies.

This has been high on the agenda of the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership.

We have had great cooperation so far when it comes to solar:

on the operation of large solar parks,

on the policy developments for rooftop PV,

on the circularity in the supply chain, and other issues.

There's much more to do and untapped potential to explore.

Especially when it comes to realigning global supply chains.

This is where recently established Trade and Technology Council will come into play.

The EU and India can learn from each other. Especially when it comes to diversifying supply chains and developing an open, competitive and rules-based market for solar.

India and the EU are among the biggest democracies of the world. We have a responsibility to help drive the shift towards renewables. And we have an opportunity to use our common agenda to work together and make that happen.

I hope these remarks give some food for thought during today's discussions.

Thank you.