- Jeffrey Sachs highlighted Adani Green's large-scale clean energy investments as crucial for leadership
- He said scale lowers costs and builds capabilities, enabling global leadership in clean energy
- Sachs expressed frustration over slow climate action despite 30 years of decarbonisation talks
US economist Jeffrey D Sachs said large-scale clean energy investments by companies such as Adani Green Energy are more consequential than many realise, as early movers gain cost, learning, and leadership advantages.
Speaking at Economist Enterprise's Resilient Futures Summit hosted by The Economist in New Delhi, Sachs said scale in clean energy deployment can determine which countries and firms lead the transition.
"What Adani Green pushes is extraordinarily important for this country, very smart. It is looking to the future, and it is operating at a major scale, so it is a very positive development," Sachs said.
He added that deploying technology at large scale lowers costs and builds capabilities. "You don't just become national leaders but global leaders doing this," he added.
'We've Talked Decarbonisation For 30 Years'
At the same summit, Sachs expressed frustration over the slow pace of global climate action. "We've talked about decarbonisation for 30 years... and still haven't done it."
He said the world lacks a concrete plan even as temperatures move beyond the 1.5-2 degrees Celsius range. In contrast, he pointed to companies that are already acting at scale.
"The ones who act now will win. The rest are just talking."
India's Economic Rise By 2047
Referring to the government's Viksit Bharat vision, Sachs said India's growth trajectory could significantly alter the global economic order.
He said that by 2047, India could leapfrog the United States to become the world's second-largest economy. While governments set the framework, he said, the future would be built by large private players operating at scale.
"I like Viksit Bharat initiative as it gives you a 20-year perspective."
Remarks On Iran Conflict
In a separate address at an event organised by FICCI, Sachs spoke about geopolitics, warning of the global risks from escalating tensions in the Middle East.
He said understanding how wars begin is key to understanding how they can end. He criticised US decision-making as "deinstitutionalised" and lacking structured deliberation, describing the situation as a "war of whim".
Sachs also said India is one of the pillars of global stability and peace. "It does not have to align with anybody. It should aim to have good relations with everybody, but also not be part of anyone else's strategy."
He said India should not be part of a US-led effort that is overtly anti-China, adding that bilateral issues between India and China should be handled directly between the two countries.
Sachs noted that India pioneered the Non-Aligned Movement and called it "a very good idea". He added that China should support India becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
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