Australia India Institute Annual Oration

Namaste!

And thank you, Patrick, for that introduction.

Can I also congratulate you on your new role as Chair of the Australia India Institute.

The AII has been a leading and influential voice for the Australia–India relationship.

I’m a big supporter of 1.5 track diplomacy and the role you play in bridging government, business and civil society.

I thank you for the important work you’ve accomplished over the past 17 years.

I’d like to acknowledge Minister Joshi, His Excellency Philip Green, the Hon Lisa Singh and all the leaders gathered here tonight. I particularly extend my thanks to the Business Council of Australia, represented today by Jodi McKay, and the Smart Energy Council, led by John Grimes, for bringing delegations to New Delhi, to join us to help further strengthen the ties between our two nations and economies.

My sincere gratitude to our hosts for the very warm welcome.

A warm welcome is what I’ve come to expect from a country with deep cultural and people-to-people ties with Australia.

It’s also what I’ve grown accustomed to from the Indian community in my Western Sydney electorate.

A community that I’m proud to represent in the Australian Parliament.

Indians living in Australia have strengthened our country, and I respect them deeply.

My family and I are proud of the opportunities we’ve had to share wonderful moments with them, including at local Holi and Diwali festivals.

I am looking forward to hosting Diwali celebrations in my local community on Saturday, where I’m expecting a big turnout, including my guest the High Commissioner Gopal Baglay.

Being here with you and part of the lighting of the lamp and other reminders of our Indian community back home gives me a palpable sense of affinity and pleasure.

I’ve been to India many, many times since my first visit in 1998., What has brought me to India this time is the big energy opportunity before all of us.

And the difference we can make as leaders on global climate action.

The world is witnessing a sweeping transformation in the global economy the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Industrial Revolution.

Trillions are pouring into renewable energy, about double the investment in fossil fuels.

The goal is stopping the worst of climate change by reaching net zero emissions.

A goal that Australia and India share.

Last year in Brazil, Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the launch of the India–Australia Renewable Energy Partnership.

Tonight, I’d like to speak to you about that partnership and what Australia and India can achieve together.

A shared climate imperative

The last time I was here was in 2023.

It was an opportunity to speak with ministers and business leaders about how Australia and India could advance energy cooperation.

We continued this discussion last year at the Australia India Renewables Dialogue in Sydney, where we explored opportunities to share clean energy technology.

As I said then, and I will say it again, I regard the Australia–India renewable energy partnership as being in the top rank of our international energy agreements.

Because the global energy transition ties our two nations together in so many ways.

We’re united by our shared ambition to contribute to global action on climate change.

We’re both working towards net zero economies, guided by our interim targets, which we are in the process of updating this year.

Australia recently submitted our 2035 target to the UNFCCC: a reduction of 62 to 70 per cent in emissions.

This is a target that is ambitious and achievable. It provides certainty to industry, to drive the investment we need to transform our energy system.

And we’re working to achieve our domestic renewable energy targets by 2030.

India is aiming for 50%, and Australia 82%.

That requires a big step up from the both of us, and I applaud India’s ambition – especially in the context of extending electricity to so many Indians who currently don’t have access, making your task so much more challenging.

But it also opens an incredible opportunity.

Because renewable energy is what will underpin our future economic opportunities.

Opportunities in green hydrogen and clean energy manufacturing, for things like electrolysers and solar modules.

Clean energy supply chains will be crucial to our success.

That’s why we’re proud to be working together with India through the Quad to strengthen our supply chains.

This week we announced 12 projects that will receive $25m worth of grants in the first round of our Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program.

Projects will conduct innovative research and development and feasibility studies to expand and strengthen solar PV, hydrogen electrolyser and battery supply chains. Four of those projects involve an Indian partner, – which I welcome very much as an indicator of the complimentary nature of our strategic approach.

Supporting new supply chains

Friends, it makes more sense now than ever to focus on strengthening renewable energy supply chains and sovereignty.

And this is exactly what we’re doing through our Future Made in Australia plan and your Make in India program.

The India–Australia Renewable Energy Partnership provides more opportunities to unlock new supply chains to support our transitions and create new prosperity for our peoples.

Our two nations have incredible complementary strengths.

Australia brings deep expertise in clean energy innovation, R&D and education.

India is a global digital and technological powerhouse.

Australia holds India’s technological accomplishments in high regard.

You’ve sent a rocket to the Moon.

The historic landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the landing on the lunar surface two years ago which saw India lead the world in ladning a module on the South Pole of the moon for the first time.

Both our countries possess enormous talent when it comes to the skills we need to unlock more renewable potential. If we can get even more collaboration underway it will be to the enormous benefit of both countries.

There are so many areas for cooperation between Australia and India, though I’ll try to limit myself to the two we focused on today – solar PV and hydrogen – technologies so critical to our future.

First of all, I’d like to take a closer look at solar.

Solar cooperation

Australia has the highest rate of rooftop solar deployment in the world.

One in three Australian homes have solar – and rising steadily.

And around 400,000 now have a battery, so that we can use that solar energy day or night.

But we’re also a global leader in solar innovation.

A pioneering force in solar research and development.

The groundbreaking solar cell technology developed by Professor Martin Green and his team at the University of NSW in the early 1980s is now used in about 90% of all the silicon solar modules produced in the world – including here in India.

The renewable energy partnership with India provides a great opportunity for Australia to share our solar expertise with India.

After all, we both have a remarkable solar resource at our disposal.

Aren’t we Surya Putra – sons of the sun -as Prime Minister Modi calls it?

The Indian Government’s vision for solar is both ambitious and inspiring.

It’s a vision Australia is keen to assist you in achieving.

You have set a target of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030.

Solar is at the heart of that target.

You’ve already made impressive strides.

India has achieved record solar capacity over the past year, backed by the National Solar Mission, with initiatives like PM Ghar: Mufti Bijli for household solar, and the PM-KUSUM Scheme for solar-powered agriculture.

We’re already cooperating on solar, and we’re working on doing more.

Workforce development

Building the future renewable workforce is a key element of the Renewable Energy Partnership.

The Australia–India Rooftop Solar Training Academy being established at Pandit Deendayal Energy University in Gandhinagar is a promising first step to support workforce development.

This world-class centre will train young Indian women and men solar technicians using Australia's expertise in solar training and curriculum development.

I understand that renovations of the PDEU campus are nearing completion, with the Academy expected to be up and running within the next month, providing a skilled workforce for India's growing rooftop solar market and supporting your goal of installing solar on 10 million households.

I welcome the proposed Transmission Workforce Training collaboration between Power Grid Corporation of India, the Smart Energy Council, and Australia’s Deakin University.

It focuses on building skills pipelines for managing high-voltage transmission infrastructure.

The aim is to promote knowledge sharing and workforce development in both Australia and India.

Green hydrogen

Now, let’s turn to green hydrogen.

Both Australia and India have critical industries that are hard to abate.

The iron industry. The steel industry. The aluminium industry.

They’re all tough nuts to crack, but not impossible.

Renewable hydrogen holds considerable potential for solving the problem.

It holds the key to green metals and other applications critical to industrial decarbonisation.

That’s why Australia is investing heavily in renewable hydrogen projects.

The Australian Government is injecting billions of dollars in various programs to support the development of this critical industry.

Orica in Newcastle, near Sydney, is a large-scale industrial facility where a 50-megawatt green hydrogen electrolyser is being built.

It will help the mining solutions giant produce 4,700 tonnes of green hydrogen each year to decarbonise its ammonia production – another hard-to-abate industry.

The Australian Government is supporting Orica in its efforts through our Hydrogen Headstart program.

This project is one of a number of green hydrogen projects either under development or in the pipeline in Australia.

Australia is among a few countries in the world with the capacity to develop a green hydrogen industry big enough for export.

Our country possesses a range of renewable hydrogen capabilities.

Capabilities that can support India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Your mission is to establish India as a global hub producing 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen each year by 2030.

Australia has strong research and institutional expertise in the field.

Green hydrogen has been an R&D focus in some of our universities and research institutions for a long time, many with deep experience with electrolysers.

Australia’s excellent solar and wind resources have also been key to our potential to produce renewable hydrogen more cheaply than elsewhere.

This is in addition to our abundant land for the large-scale infrastructure required for operating electrolysers at scale.

COP31 bid

Before I wrap up, I want to say a few words about our work on the other side of this coin – climate change.

Where our respective leadership is more important than ever for global momentum and the multilateral system.

India – as a potential host of COP33, and a powerful voice for sustainable development and a greener, cleaner and healthier planet.

Australia – as a bridge between developed nations and our shared region spanning South Asia, right across the Blue Pacific Continent. 
 
As many of you will know, Australia is bidding to host COP31 in partnership with the Pacific.

We’re grateful for the strong support from Pacific leaders and the Western European and Others Group.

It would be the first time a COP is delivered in a partnership model like this.

And the first time a COP is held in the Pacific

And, I hope that all nations can see Australia’s commitment to a partnership COP as part of our nation’s determination to being a reliable, trustworthy friend who wants to work with partners on the challenges before us.

We have an unparalleled opportunity to harness the Pacific’s climate leadership to deliver strong climate outcomes for the region and for the world.

COP31 would allow us to build on landmark initiatives like the International Solar Alliance launched by India in the lead up to COP 21.

Australia looks forward to developing an ambitious agenda for COP31 in partnership with Pacific countries, and in consultation with international partners.

And we hope to connect that agenda to the host of COP32 and COP33 – which we know that India is hoping to host.

If India is successful in that bid, we look forward to working with you to build a legacy that connects our countries – and our COPs.

Conclusion

Friends, the next decade will be critical for climate action and the energy transition.

We must press on despite the challenges.

Because in the climate crisis that confronts us, opportunity knocks.

Waiting for us to usher in a new era of prosperity.

Turning the gifts of nature into engines of growth.

But no single country can go it alone.

Success will come from likeminded countries working together.

Working together in the spirit of bharosa, maryada, gyan and kalyan.

Our greatest asset lies in our friendship and our complementary strengths.

Working together, we can bring out the best in each other.

And show the next generation that when opportunity knocked, we didn’t turn away.

Thank you.