Saurabh Kumar to lead GEAPP's Vision for India's Clean Energy Transition

2024-04-18 12:58:37 Environment

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New Delhi, April 19, 2023 ? The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Saurabh Kumar as the Head of GEAPP in India. GEAPP is an alliance of philanthropy, local entrepreneurs, government, technology, policy, and finance, with a singular focus on solving energy poverty within a green energy transition.

Saurabh Kumar brings over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, with expertise across technology, marketing, and finance. Before joining GEAPP, he successfully led the implementation of several energy efficiency projects as Managing Director and then Vice-Chair of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power. Projects included UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) and SLNP (Street Lighting National Programme).

GEAPP will accelerate and scale a set of high-impact projects in India that will drive the effort to address the global climate crisis while improving the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. As the Head of GEAPP in India, Saurabh Kumar will lead the organisation's operations and drive its growth in this critical market.

Simon Harford, Global CEO of GEAPP, commented: "GEAPP is a catalytic global partnership formed to tackle the twin perils of climate change and energy poverty by accelerating renewable energy in developing countries. India represents a core part of this effort - other countries can learn from the leadership and policy advances already playing out here. Saurabh?s experience, his commitment, and deep understanding of sustainability will be critical in driving GEAPP?s mission forward."

Congratulating Saurabh, Ravi Venkatesan, Global Chairman of GEAPP, said, ?We are delighted to welcome Saurabh Kumar to lead GEAPP?s activities in India, which represents a critical market for our work. Saurabh brings a robust understanding of the energy sector and will enable us to drive energy transition conversations in India. He will utilise the learnings and networks he has built over the years to implement path-breaking initiatives, forging critical partnerships in India and beyond.?

Saurabh Kumar said, ?I am honoured and excited to join GEAPP in India. GEAPP is driven to lead critical dialogues in India and support innovative solutions for climate change. We feel, with the right partnerships, strategies, and innovation, we can achieve our goal of providing affordable and sustainable energy solutions to all, while addressing the climate crisis.

About Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet was launched at COP26 to accelerate investment in green energy transitions and renewable power solutions in developing and emerging economies worldwide.

Over the next decade, the Alliance aims to unlock USD 100 billion in public and private capital and tackle three profound human problems simultaneously: POWER ? reaching one billion people with reliable, renewable energy; CLIMATE ? avoiding and averting four billion tons of carbon emissions; and JOBS ? building an on-ramp to opportunity by creating, enabling, or improving 150 million jobs. It also opened a Global Call for Transformational Country Partnerships, inviting developing and emerging economies to apply for technical support and funding to advance ecosystems of clean energy projects.

As a pivotal contributor to the global energy transition, India is one of the largest and highest priority markets for GEAPP. India has ambitious climate goals and in COP26, declared its intention to become carbon neutral by 2070. The pathways to the goal include enabling a green economy, accelerating the increase in renewables and storage, enhancing energy efficiency and digitisation of the energy sector.