European Union’s climate policy chief Frans Timmermans on Thursday suggested using the India-European Union Trade and Technology Council to have access to technology and raw material necessary for stable green energy supplies to fight the climate crisis.

On the first day of his two-day crucial diplomatic mission to India to discuss developments on emission reductions and clean energy transition, Timmermans also called for collectively setting a renewable energy generation goal on the international stage.

Addressing the ‘Confederation of Indian Industry Annual Session 2023’ here, he said the whole nature of the cooperation between the EU and India should be focused on how “we create the instruments that will allow us transform our economies and societies in a way that we create sustainable jobs”.

“If you want to depend more on sustainable energy, you have to develop systems which create stability in energy supplies which means battery systems and green hydrogen systems for which you need electrolysers and new forms of batteries of all scales and sizes. You need to have access to raw materials and technology to develop this. Why don’t we use the India- European Union Trade and Technology Council to focus on these things?” he said.

Timmermans said though countries accounting for most historical emissions have to do more, the world needs to act collectively.

“All the scientists who have been warning us are even themselves surprised about the way the climate crisis is accelerating, even beyond their most pessimistic analysis. So, if we are to face this, we have to act now on a global scale,” he said.

“The whole preparation for the next (UN climate) conference in Dubai should be focused on how we face this challenge…

“Of course, the historical responsibility of the economies which have been burning fossil fuels for 200 years is bigger. But at the end of the day, if we do not act collectively, we fail collectively,” the Executive Vice President of the European Commission said.

Timmermans said the EU increased solar energy generation by 40 percent in just one year and China added more than 40 GW of solar energy power generation just in the first four months of this year.

“And if you know what the latest generation of wind turbines can provide… These are massive opportunities. We should be collectively setting a goal on the international stage for how renewable energy we want to generate in a certain timeframe,” he said.