India and Africa leverage climate diplomacy

The G20 promotes action through its Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and by integrating climate action into other working groups.

Under South Africa's 2025 G20 Presidency, the country’s priorities include leveraging climate finance for developing countries, enhancing capacity for adaptation and mitigation, promoting a just energy transition, and addressing air pollution through integrated information systems and policy reforms. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in 2023 in New Delhi during India’s Presidency of the G20, called on the group's leaders to support developing nations to tackle climate change with more financing and by sharing technology.

Climate scientists and activists have warned of dire consequences — particularly for developing countries — if leaders fail to reach a consensus.

"Many countries of the Global South are at various stages of development and climate action must be a complementary pursuit," Modi wrote in an opinion editorial.

"Ambitions for climate action must be matched with actions on climate finance and transfer of technology.

"We believe there is a need to move away from a purely restrictive attitude of what should not be done to a more constructive attitude focusing on what can be done to fight climate change. Due to the impact of climate change, ensuring food and nutritional security will be crucial," Modi said.

He added that "boosting climate-smart agriculture" was one solution.

"Technology is transformative but it also needs to be made inclusive," he said.

India and Africa are two regions that bear a disproportionate impact of climate change, even as their per-capita emissions of greenhouse gases are lower than global average and they are responsible for only a small share of the current stock of emissions.

The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that India—home to 20 percent of the world’s population—could face multiple climate change-induced disasters in the next two decades. In the African continent, meanwhile, eight countries are among the ten most vulnerable in the world.

The global conversation to find solutions to climate change is a crucial one and the emergence of multi-stakeholder global partnerships such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), are critical.

India has taken on a leading role in global climate diplomacy, choosing to cooperate and take a more proactive role in recent climate engagements. India has been a part of three significant groupings—the Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) countries,  the Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa (BRICS), and the Group of 77 (G-77) countries of the Global South.

All Africa’s countries on the continent are part of the G77, which provides the means for countries of the Global South to air their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on crucial international economic issues within the UN system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.

At COP27 in 2022, India argued on principles of global justice and equity as it blocked an attempt by wealthy nations to push for the use of terms such as ‘major emitters’ and ‘top emitters’ in the cover text of the Summit.

The ISA was born out of the ‘One World, One Sun, One Grid’ initiative led by Modi and announced at COP21 in Paris by the Indian leader, along with then French president, François Hollande. The formation of ISA by India, jointly with France, reinforced India’s presence as a dominant global force in climate action.

ISA is envisioned as a platform for cooperation on solar energy, promoting new technologies and financing to achieve global energy equity.

Headquartered in New Delhi, ISA has increased Indian involvement in renewable energy projects in Africa and its aim is to make positive contributions to the common goals of improved energy access, enhanced energy security, and provision of more opportunities for better livelihoods in rural and remote areas.

Africa, is often referred to as the ‘Sun Continent’, whose solar energy potential is arguably limitless yet, most African countries are still to effectively utilise the abundant solar energy available to them. 

After the first summit of ISA held in March 2018 in New Delhi, India has earmarked a credit line of up to US$2 billion, with 15 to 20 percent of the amount to be earmarked for 179 solar-related projects in African countries.

ISA has also partnered with the African Development Bank to develop 10,000 MW of solar power systems across the Sahel region, which aims to provide electricity to approximately half of the 600 million Africans who remain off-grid.

ISA projects across Africa include setting up of solar PV power plants, mini-grid and off-grid plants; solar-powered irrigation systems; rural electrification; street lighting; solar energy linked cold-chains and cooling systems; and solar-powered urban infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and government establishments.

Others are a 500-MW Solar Park in Mali; solar facilities and solar home systems in Burkina Faso, Uganda and Tanzania; solarised and efficient cold food chains in Nigeria; and solar-powered pack houses and cold storages in Senegal and Ghana. 

A cursory look at initiatives and activities of ISA in Africa shows their contribution to sustainable livelihoods through job creation, increased incomes, poverty reduction, improved productivity, quality education and healthcare, food security, and social stability.

Improved access to solar energy also ensures sustainable consumption and production, and contributes to environmental conservation by reducing deforestation and land degradation. 

ISA’s work in the African continent reflects the multidimensional relationship between the two regions, underpinned by well-established bilateral trade.

Besides shared disproportionate vulnerability to climate change, India and Africa have many advantages that can be leveraged for mutual benefit.

These include their innovative youthful demography, fast-growing economies, huge markets, and vast natural resources.

* Dr Govender is an academic and a keen observer of issues related to international relations.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.