India moots biofuel alliance among 14 members of IPEF

New Delhi: India has proposed collaboration on biofuels within the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) on the lines of the G20 Global Biofuels Alliance to ensure energy security, affordability and accessibility through sustainable biofuels, according to officials.

At the ongoing sixth round talks of the IPEF in Malaysia, India is also likely to push for technology transfer among the group's 14 members to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security.

The issues are expected to come up in the negotiations of Pillar 3 of IPEF, which relates to a clean economy, and could conclude this week.


"All countries are suggesting work programmes and India has suggested collaboration on biofuels like the G20 Alliance," said an official, adding that India is also pushing for technology transfer through joint ventures in the clean energy pillar.

Supported by the G20 countries and 12 global organisations, including World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Energy Agency and the International Energy Forum, the Global Biofuels Alliance seeks to strengthen global biofuels trade. It was launched at the New Delhi G20 Leaders Summit.

The current round of IPEF talks ends on October 24.

Pillar 3 relates to environmental issues, how to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in various industries, carbon capture utilisation and storage, collaborative financing facilitate trading and not put many barriers.

Negotiations on Pillar 3 (clean economy) and Pillar 4 (fair economy) are expected to conclude in the ongoing round.

The IPEF was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan, Australia and seven ASEAN members. It is structured around four pillars-trade, supply chains, clean economy and fair economy (issues such as tax and anti-corruption).

The IPEF Supply Chains (Pillar-II) Agreement was finalised in May and the commerce and industry ministry has floated a cabinet note seeking approval to sign and ratify it.

"Since the IPEF talks are likely to conclude next month, culminating in a ministerial meeting, Cabinet approval for Pillar 2 needs to come before that," the official added.

Pillar 3 also has labour issues and talks about indigenous people, but India is unlikely to partake in it as the country doesn't define indigenous people.