India, Finland to set up sustainability working group
India and Finland are planning to set up a governmental working group on sustainability, said Kimmo Siira, Counsellor (Trade and Investments) in the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi. The focus of the grouping is to be on energy, given that Finland is pushing investments in biofuels and renewable energy in India. Finland is also lending its expertise to India, since New Delhi is planning to study the Nordic power grid. India, which proposed the creation of this group, will be represented by the Ministries of Environment, Power and Renewable Energy and Natural Gas. NITI Aayog may also be a part of the group.
The grouping fits with the bilateral partnership’s larger focus on sustainability and innovation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland set this focus during their bilateral meeting in 2021.
“The Prime Ministers discussed deepening bilateral relations in the fields of trade and investment, science, innovation and sustainable development. Finland and India have many partnerships that aim to promote sustainable development and digitalisation, among other objectives,” reads a press statement from the Finnish government at the time.
Finland’s efforts, which Siira says will focus on the energy partnership, will build off earlier efforts.
“In Assam, next year, we will finalise a bio-refinery which is going to make ethanol from bamboo.
It is a joint venture of Numaligarh Oil Refinery Ltd and Chempolis, a Finnish company which has the technology to convert bamboo to ethanol,” Siira said in an exclusive interview with Mint.
“There have also been MoU’s signed with large Indian corporates to replicate the model elsewhere. These will be with private companies and state-owned companies,” he revealed.
Mint had also earlier reported that Power Minister RK Singh is expected to visit Finland at the end of this year to study the Nordic power grid and examine its suitability to the Indian context.
These initiatives are expected to help India on its path to net zero emissions by 2070. Finland’s new Digitalisation, Education, Sustainability, Innovation (DESI) partnership hopes to develop smart grids and deepen cooperation on sustainability.
“An event is aimed at bringing corporates and experts together to discuss Finland and India’s sustainability targets and how corporates can contribute to it. The forum promotes engagement on best practices, collaborations and common solutions,” according to a draft document by the Finland Embassy seen by Mint. The event is expected to take place under the aegis of the Finland Sustainable Business Forum.
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