Gender-responsive energy transition can unlock jobs, innovation in India: German envoy
German Ambassador to India Dr Philipp Ackermann was speaking at the India-Germany Climate Talks in New Delhi
Calling a gender-responsive energy transition an economic opportunity rather than merely a social imperative, German Ambassador to India Dr. Philipp Ackermann on Thursday said India's shift towards renewable energy could unlock new markets, generate jobs and drive innovation if women are given equal access to resources, leadership and decision-making.
Speaking at the India-Germany Climate Talks in the National Capital, Ackermann said India and Germany were working together to ensure that the clean energy transition remained inclusive and people-centred.
"A gender-responsive energy transition is not just good for gender equality—it is an economic opportunity. India's journey toward renewable energy can unlock more markets, create more jobs and drive innovation if women have equal access to resources, decision-making and leadership," he said.
The event, hosted by the German Embassy, focused on the role of women in India's clean energy transition and featured the launch of Powering the Future: Women at the Heart of India's Energy Transition, authored by Bengaluru-based climate researcher Neha Saigal and published by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
Drawing on experiences from Odisha, Punjab, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the book highlights the contributions of women as innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and community leaders while arguing that gender should become a central pillar of climate and energy policy.
Ackermann said the Indo-German Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development was aimed not only at advancing clean energy but also at ensuring that climate action benefits communities and leaves no one behind.
Author Neha Saigal said India's transition to cleaner energy must be viewed through the lens of equity and inclusion. "India's energy transition presents an opportunity to place gender at the heart of policy and decision-making, not as an afterthought but as a foundation for a just transition," she said, adding that women were central to energy systems as users, caregivers and drivers of livelihoods.
She argued that India was witnessing multiple energy transitions shaped by local realities and that a just transition should avoid reproducing existing social inequalities while moving away from fossil fuels.
The discussion also featured clean energy expert Dr. Priyadarshini Karve, who highlighted the role of women-led innovation and entrepreneurship in expanding access to decentralised renewable energy solutions, and Dr. Amrita Rana, who underlined the links between clean mobility, public health and women's leadership in tackling urban air pollution.
Panellists agreed that embedding gender-responsive approaches into energy planning, expanding women's participation across the clean energy value chain and strengthening local leadership would be essential for achieving a just and resilient energy transition.
Germany has been a key partner in India's sustainable development agenda through climate finance, technical cooperation and policy partnerships, with recent collaborations placing greater emphasis on inclusive climate action and women's leadership.
