"Without India, any fight against climate change is useless": German envoy to India Philipp Ackermann

New Delhi [India], October 21 : German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, while speaking at the 'NDTV World Summit 2024: The India Century' on Monday said that any fight against climate change is useless without the involvement of India.
Highlighting India's role in climate change, Ackermann said that the Indian private sector has taken up several initiatives in the fight against climate change.
"Without India, any fight against climate change is useless, because India is the most populous country in the world. Without India, this equation will not work. Germany, alongwith India, has set up this partnership for green and sustainable development, where we join hands to work on common projects to fight climate change. One of the interesting facts about India is that when it comes to climate change, outside the government, a lot is happening. What the Indian private sector does with the renewable sector is remarkable," he said.
Talking about the European point of view that the old global power equations have to change, he said that Europe and Germany in particular recognise that India has to step up on the international stage.
"Yes, Europe and Germany in particular recognise that India has to step up on the international stage. India has to become one of the main actors internationally and that has to be reflected also in the international system. Germany, India, Brazil and Japan, the G4, are fighting for a seat at the UN Security Council and we hope that there's reform coming up of these international organisations," he said.
Ackermann added, "At the same time, many countries, including Germany come to India and pay respect to this aspirational country and want to hear what India has to say and want to involve India in discussions on Russia-Ukraine war, the Middle East situation. Even German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz will take those matters up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi because we feel that India is a very important part of the world equation and should be recognised for it."
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz will pay an official visit to India from 24-26 October 2024 for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC), a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.
On October 25, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Scholz will co-chair the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations. Scholz will be accompanied by senior Ministers in his cabinet for the IGC consultations. The IGC is a whole-of-government framework under which Ministers from both sides hold discussions in their respective areas of responsibility and report on the outcome of their deliberations to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, the statement added.
Both leaders will hold bilateral talks to discuss enhanced security and defence cooperation, greater opportunities for the mobility of talent, deeper economic cooperation, Green and Sustainable Development Partnerships and collaboration in the area of emerging and strategic technologies. Discussions will also focus on important regional and global developments.
Both leaders will also address the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024) being held in New Delhi on October 25. The APK, a biennial event for business leaders, executives, and political representatives from Germany and the countries in the Indo-Pacific, is expected to give a further fillip to trade and investment ties between our two countries. About 650 top business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other countries are expected to participate in the event, the statement said.
Chancellor Scholz will then travel to Goa, where the German naval frigate "Baden-Wuerttemberg" and combat support ship "Frankfurt am Main" will make a scheduled port call as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment.
India and Germany have had a strategic partnership since 2000. Over the years, this partnership has deepened and diversified across various sectors. The two countries are celebrating 50 years of Science and Technology collaboration this year. As we enter the 25th year of strategic partnership, the visit of Chancellor Scholz will pave the way for further strengthening of our bilateral ties, the statement added.
On India's leadership under PM Modi, Ackermann reminisced about India's G20 Presidency and recognised how it was held in a tumultuous time and how India successfully conducted it.
"India has proven itself before also, but especially in the last 10 years, that it is an important actor on the world stage. In the G20 Presidency, India excelled and showed what weight it has on the international stage because, without India, the G20 would not have been possible. It was a very difficult moment and environment with Russia and the West, and India somehow succeeded in getting a very satisfactory result," he said.