The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India in collaboration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation hosted the first international Sustainable Action Dialogue in Monaco as a curtain raiser to the 2020 edition of TERI's flagship event, the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS). Scheduled for 29 - 31 January 2020, the WSDS will be held in New Delhi, India. 

As an outcome of the Monaco summit, TERI and Messe München India signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will extend the Indian IFAT network to include the second trade technology fair in New Delhi in co-location with World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2020. Stefan Rummel, Managing Director, Messe München, commenting on the partnership said: “IFAT focusses on pressing issues such as water supply, waste management and clean air that are crucial for the sustainable development of the respective region. By launching IFAT Delhi, we respond to the country’s high demand for environmental solutions.” Dr. Annapurna Vancheswaran, Senior Director, TERI added: “IFAT India and TERI have been close partners since 2017; IFAT Delhi is the ideal complement for the World Sustainable Development Summit. The Monaco summit has further strengthened this cooperation.” 

Commenting on the Summit, Mr. Ankan Banerjee, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India at Paris said, “India is strongly committed to a clean and green planet. We constitute an important global stakeholder in combating climate change and towards promoting renewable energy, especially solar power, across the world. We greatly admire the leadership role taken by His Serene Highness in the cause of protecting our environment. Renewable energy, electric mobility, environmental protection and the fight against climate change constituted the core of his meetings with our leadership, as also the rest of his engagements.  These subjects constitute important pillars of India-Monaco bilateral cooperation”.

Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI, added: “The future is expected to be driven by clean mobility powered with abundantly available renewable energy. If powered by clean energy, electric vehicles (EVs) offer to be one of the most commercially viable clean mobility options for countries at the moment. Unsurprisingly, EVs are being adopted globally as a potential solution to curb emissions, air pollution and tacking concerns related to energy security from the transport sector. While many cities have been successfully transitioning to electric technology, for many other cities, adopting electric mobility has been challenging. The event discussed energy transition and electric mobility which are of interest to both India and Monaco, and it marks an important milestone in the history of India-Monaco relations.” 

Mr. Patrick Medecin, Ambassador of Monaco to India and Japan, said: “In Monaco, we are privileged to have as Head of State, a great leader who is committed to the protection of the environment, clean energy, biodiversity and protection of oceans: HSH Prince Albert II. We have set ourselves very ambitious objectives of reducing greenhouse gases by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990. To achieve this target and set the Principality on a course to carbon neutrality by 2050, the national action plan focuses primarily on the three sectors responsible for the highest greenhouse gas emissions: road transport, waste treatment and energy consumption in buildings. Monaco is pioneering the use of electric vehicles which is now more than 5% of the vehicle fleet registered in Monaco.”