United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell has backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that India's investments in clean energy helped protect its
economic growth despite the global oil price crisis. Stiell described PM Modi's comments as “very salient” and said clean energy can protect economies from the uncertainty caused by dependence on fossil fuels. Stiell, who is leading international climate negotiations at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, said the world is facing a global fossil fuel cost crisis, with rising import costs pushing inflation across economies. In a written interview with ANI, Stiell also welcomed India's Green Energy Corridor initiative, calling it a “major step forward that will deliver big dividends for India's people and economy.” COP31, the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, is being held in Antalya from November 9 to 20, 2026. The Turkish Presidency of COP31 has proposed a global 35-by-35 electrification pledge, focusing on expanding the use of electricity across different sectors. Commenting on the proposal, Stiell said electrification powered by renewable energy and supported by stronger electricity grids could help countries lower energy bills and pollution while improving public health. “Working hand in hand with electrification, clean energy protects economies from the ruinous rollercoaster of fossil fuel dependency. PM Modi's recent comments about how investments in clean energy helped protect India's economic growth despite the oil price shock crisis are very salient,” Stiell told ANI. The UN climate chief also referred to PM Modi's recent announcement on strengthening electricity grids and battery storage through the Green Energy Corridor. Addressing the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 on November 2, PM Modi had said India's investments in clean energy over the past decade had helped it deal with the global oil crisis. “If India had not invested in clean energy and created new systems for this over the past decade, then our crisis could have been much more severe than the rest of the world,” PM Modi had said.
