The fourth Indo-German Environment Forum, held in Delhi on September 1, focused on Climate Change and biodiversity conservation. Since the first forum in 2008, global environmental crises have intensified. The political environment for resolving these crises, too, has deteriorated, especially because wars, tariffs and market protectionism have undermined multilateralism. These tensions will have a bearing on India’s attempts to simultaneously combat energy poverty and decarbonise its economy. Yet, there are positive developments. The international community has concluded important agreements, notably the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and, most recently, the BBNJ Agreement to protect the High seas. India and Germany remain committed to multilateralism, working with partners worldwide to promote stability, reliability, peaceful development and a rules-based international order. A good example of this is the India-EU trade agreement, concluded in January. Germany, as the EU’s strongest economy, is committed to creating new opportunities for growth and jobs for companies in the two countries. Our combined markets serve a population of almost 2 billion people. India and Germany have been strategic partners for 75 years. In March, we celebrated the anniversary of our diplomatic ties. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in Delhi and reaffirmed their commitment to the Partnership for Sustainable Green Development, established in 2022. Cabinet minister-level consultations are planned for 2027 in Berlin. Both countries are aware of what happens when pressure is placed on the environment. This summer was the hottest on record in Western Europe. India is facing water shortages; large parts of the country faced heatwaves in summer, and then Assam was hit by floods. The devastating flash flood in neighbouring Nepal, which also affected many Indians, has shocked us all. At the same time, India is also proving that climate action and industrial development can go hand in hand through initiatives such as solar parks. At last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil, we jointly advocated for ambitious climate targets. Climate resilience is becoming an increasingly important goal. The fourth Indo-German Environment Forum was, therefore, fittingly titled “Together for Greater Resilience”. With the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), the forum brought together policymakers, business leaders, scientists and representatives of civil society. My counterpart, Bhupender Yadav, and I agreed to pursue technical dialogues on climate adaptation and learn from each other’s experiences. We also signed a Declaration of Intent to strengthen cooperation on wetland protection. More than 2,000 German companies operate in India. Nearly three-quarters of them expect sales to rise this year. More than half plan to increase their investments in 2026. More than 60 per cent manufacture goods in India to meet local demand. One particularly interesting example is the partnership between BHEL and the Dortmund-headquartered Thyssenkrupp Nucera. The FTA offers significant potential for the development of environmental technologies and a circular economy. The private sector in both countries is already focused on these areas. This also involves the decarbonisation of industry, for example through green steel and low-carbon cement. German and Indian municipalities are working with companies to develop standardised collection and recycling systems, digital traceability chains and tailor-made financing solutions. I am impressed by India’s ambitious targets for solar energy, green hydrogen and growing domestic manufacturing. Germany brings a wide range of experience in grid integration, storage systems and regulation. Through joint initiatives – ranging from the integration of renewable energies to green industrial clusters — we can reduce emissions. The writer is federal minister for the environment, climate action, nature conservation and nuclear safety of Germany
