Global Biofuel Alliance formed at G20 Summit in New Delhi, India

India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, along with the leaders of Singapore, Bangladesh, Italy, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates, launched the Global Biofuel Alliance Sept. 9 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

The Global Biofuel Alliance is an initiative by India as the G20 chair, announced India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

“The alliance intends to expedite the global uptake of biofuels through facilitating technology advancements, intensifying utilization of sustainable biofuels, shaping robust standard setting, and certification through the participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders,” the ministry stated.

The alliance will also act as a central repository of knowledge and an expert hub.

“The Global Biofuel Alliance aims to serve as a catalytic platform, fostering global collaboration for the advancement and widespread adoption of biofuels,” the ministry stated.

In the U.S., the White House also issued a statement on the formation of the Global Biofuel Alliance.

“Tackling the climate crisis requires global action, and while in New Delhi, India, for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, President Biden has continued to build innovative partnerships as part of a global effort to combat climate change,” the White House stated Sept. 9.

According to the White House, the Global Biofuel Alliance is “a partnership to make progress in our shared commitment to deploy cleaner, greener fuels around the world that help meet our decarbonization goals.”

Leaders from Bangladesh and Singapore also attended as observer countries to the alliance, the White House noted.

“The alliance is focused on securing the supply of biofuels, ensuring these biofuels remain affordable and are produced sustainably,” the White House added. “Founding members of the alliance will continue outreach to other countries committed to these shared values with the goal of adding more countries to this effort.”

Private industry also weighed in on the creation of the Global Biofuel Alliance at the G20 Summit.

“In spite of polarization between the East and the West, India acted as a bridge and was able to create an agreement on the climate crisis by getting commitments to reduce fossil-fuel use, increase renewable energy targets, and lower greenhouse-gas emissions, in spite of objections from several countries,” said Aron Govil, chairman of Ducon, a provider of engineered technologies, systems and products for environmental control, renewable energy, material handling, video surveillance and infrastructure projects. “Furthermore, India also announced the launch of the Global Biofuel Alliance between 19 countries and 12 international organizations, where India, Brazil and the U.S. are the alliance’s founding members.”