The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) is establishing a Secretariat in India.
According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), the alliance will benefit from legal standing and privileges in India by signing a Host Country Agreement (HCA) with the country.
Goals:
The GBA plans to promote the development, adoption, and use of internationally recognized standards.
It aims to secure financing for biofuel production, establish consistent technical specifications, promote sustainable biofuel use, share policy expertise, facilitate supply-demand mapping, and connect technology providers and end users.
The Importance of This Partnership:
By augmenting conventional energy resources, decreasing reliance on imported fossil fuels, and satisfying the energy demands of India’s large rural and urban populations, it aims to increase national energy security in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way.
Additionally, the HCA will grant GBA the legal standing it needs, including privileges and immunities under the 1947 United Nations (Privilege & Immunities) Act, allowing it to effectively carry out its operations and programs in compliance with Indian laws, rules, and regulations.
How will the secretariat help?
The agreement also allows the GBA to set up a secretariat with staff from India and other countries, MCA said.
The GBA secretariat in India will help in the following ways:
Create jobs: The secretariat will create new jobs for Indian biofuel experts.
Demonstrate expertise: The secretariat will provide an opportunity for India’s private sector to showcase its biofuels expertise and innovation.
Support India’s biofuels efforts: The secretariat will help to expedite India’s ongoing biofuels projects.
Provide opportunities for Indian industries: The secretariat will provide Indian industries with the opportunity to export technology and equipment.
Backdrop:
The G20 Chair and eight other nations launched GBA, a multi stakeholder alliance, on September 9, 2023. The alliance aims to address feedstock availability, streamline biomass supply chains, and encourage biofuel production. GBA has grown to 27 member nations and 12 international organizations in less than a year.
