Photo Credit: www.bundesregierung.de
Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Carsten Schneider, has begun a four-day visit to India aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on environmental protection and climate action, according to Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
The principal engagement during the visit will be the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum, scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 1, 2026, under the theme “Together For More Resilience.”
Minister Schneider is expected to jointly open the Forum with his Indian counterpart. He will also hold discussions with the Indian Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and other government representatives on environmental and climate-related priorities.
The visit comes as India and Germany seek to connect their climate objectives more closely with trade, investment, technology cooperation and the development of resilient supply chains.
Circular Economy, Biodiversity and Clean Technology on Agenda
The Indo-German Environment Forum is the principal bilateral platform connecting the environment ministries of the two countries. Discussions at its fourth edition will cover circular economy, biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, resource efficiency, clean technology, sustainable finance and the mobilisation of investment.
Around 200 representatives are expected to participate in the Forum. Alongside policymakers, the meeting will bring together members of the private sector and other stakeholders working in environmental technologies and sustainable development.
A high-level German business delegation is accompanying Minister Schneider and will participate in the discussions. Its presence is expected to place particular emphasis on how policy cooperation can translate into technology partnerships, commercial projects and investment.
The Forum is jointly organised by the German Environment Ministry and India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, together with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business and Indian business associations.
Energy Transition and Resilient Supply Chains
Ahead of the visit, Minister Schneider described India as an increasingly important trade and supply-chain partner for Germany and the European Union, while also underlining its role in addressing global environmental and climate challenges.
He pointed to India’s rapid expansion of renewable energy as an important area of shared interest. For Germany, the growth of India’s clean-energy market presents opportunities for companies working in areas such as environmental technology, resource efficiency and clean-energy systems.
The broader discussions are therefore likely to examine not only environmental regulation and climate policy but also the role of businesses in deploying sustainable technologies at scale.
India is home to subsidiaries of around 2,000 German companies, approximately 700 of which manufacture locally, according to the German Environment Ministry. This industrial presence could provide a base for further cooperation in clean technology, recycling, water and waste management, and low-carbon manufacturing.
A Bilateral Platform Dating Back to 2008
The Indo-German Environment Forum has been held periodically since 2008 and represents the highest-level bilateral dialogue between India and Germany specifically focused on environmental policy.
The third edition, held in New Delhi in 2019, brought together around 250 participants from government, business, academia and civil society. Its discussions covered areas including marine litter, air-pollution control, waste and water management, circular economy, climate adaptation and the implementation of national climate commitments.
The fourth Forum is being convened after a gap of several years and against a considerably changed policy and economic backdrop. Climate resilience, resource security and the localisation of sustainable supply chains have become more closely connected to industrial competitiveness and economic security.
A related Indo-German sector dialogue held in Berlin in May 2026 identified advanced water treatment, recycling, waste-to-energy systems, resource efficiency and digital environmental solutions as promising areas for bilateral cooperation.
Part of the Wider Green Partnership
Environmental and climate cooperation also forms a central component of the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2022.
The partnership provides an overarching framework for collaboration in renewable energy, sustainable urban development, climate-resilient agriculture, biodiversity, green mobility and other areas connected with India’s sustainable-development priorities.
The latest Environment Forum offers India and Germany an opportunity to translate this wider political framework into more focused cooperation involving governments, companies, financial institutions and technology providers.
Its significance will ultimately depend on whether the discussions lead to identifiable projects, investment commitments and mechanisms for transferring or jointly developing environmental technologies. With both countries placing greater emphasis on resilience and sustainable industrial growth, the Forum could help move bilateral climate cooperation from broad commitments towards practical implementation.
