Dubai: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, under the visionary leadership of Shri Hardeep S. Puri ji, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, organized a compelling Industry Roundtable titled “Industry Perspectives on Expectations from the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA)” at the GBA Pavilion, COP28 UAE. The event provided a unique opportunity for industry leaders to engage in a dialogue on the interface between GBA and the global biofuels industry, with a focus on propelling increased global biofuels deployment.
The esteemed roundtable, chaired by Minister Hardeep S. Puri, emphasized the pivotal role the industry will play in achieving the objectives of the Alliance. Discussions centered around key issues crucial to the advancement of biofuels adoption, including challenges, global best practices, the role of GBA in overcoming obstacles, key priorities for GBA in the initial phase, and an engagement model for promoting industry participation at GBA.
Mr. Vijay Nirani, Founder & Managing Director of TruAlt Bioenergy, shared valuable insights as a participant in this roundtable as well as COP28. He expressed, “There are several challenges which include feedstock availability, technological barriers, mitigation of some ongoing debates, etc. Nevertheless, the Global Biofuels Alliance is poised to bring out the global best practices to further biofuels development & deployment, be it robust comprehensive policy frameworks and adaptive policies, accelerating technology deployment, seeking consensus on performance-based sustainability assessments or bilateral arrangements between alliance countries. I am optimistic that the GBA will create an environment conducive to international collaboration and trade, ultimately benefiting the growth and sustainability of the biofuels industry.”
Nirani also presented a white paper titled “Catalyzing Global Bioenergy Advancements: Industry Synergy for Sustainable Futures” at the Roundtable held during COP 28. The white paper meticulously delineates the challenges confronting the biofuels sector, elucidates global best practices, and underscores the pivotal role the Global Biofuel Alliance can play in surmounting these challenges. Moreover, it introduces an extensive roadmap, strategically honing in on key priorities and advocating for an engagement model to stimulate industry involvement within the GBA framework.
Recognizing the significance of industry insights, a ministry official highlighted that the views gathered during this roundtable will profoundly influence the strategic direction and immediate priorities of GBA, particularly in fostering industry participation.
The GBA Pavilion at the COP23 UAE also played host to an impressive exhibition showcasing the global journey and potential of biofuels. Launched on September 9, 2023, as a multi-stakeholder alliance of Governments, International Organizations, and Industries, GBA now proudly boasts a membership of 22 Member Countries and 12 International Organizations.
The Industry Roundtable underscored the commitment of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to actively collaborate with the global biofuels industry and the GBA. It served as a platform for fruitful discussions, facilitating the exchange of ideas and insights crucial for the sustainable advancement of biofuels on a global scale.
