By Sekhar Seshan. Consulting Editor, Business India

With Danish companies contributing to designing infrastructure projects in India, a greater engagement by more organisations in the Nordic country in all fields of sustainable urban development is welcome, prime ministers Narendra Modi and Mette Frederiksen have agreed.

Co-chairing a virtual summit between India and Denmark, the two leaders confirmed the close partnership in addressing global challenges and solutions on green energy transition and climate change, a joint statement released by the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry says. The existing strategic sector cooperation on offshore wind and renewable energy, as well as the India-Denmark Energy Partnership (INDEP) on capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and technology transfer on wind energy, energy modelling and integration of renewable energy have already established the shared commitment to address some of the common global challenges on the way to global energy transition, green growth and sustainable development.

Both countries have set very ambitious national targets on climate and energy that will contribute to an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement. Given the shared desire to remain trusted partners, Modi and Frederiksen agreed to elevate India-Denmark relations to a Green Strategic Partnership with a joint commission for cooperation. This, the statement explains, builds on and complements the existing joint working groups on renewable energy, urban development, environment, agriculture and animal husbandry, food processing, science, technology and innovation, shipping, labour mobility and digitisation.

The new Green Strategic Partnership is a mutually beneficial arrangement to advance political cooperation, expand economic relations and green growth, create jobs and strengthen cooperation on addressing global challenges and opportunities, with a focus on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under it, India and Denmark will cooperate through the ministries, institutions and stakeholders concerned.