The world needs to expand renewable energy capacity fivefold to 11,000 GW by 2030, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) President Jo Cops said on Monday, as experts from over 100 countries gathered in New Delhi for the IEC’s 89th General Meeting.

Cops emphasised that solar panels manufactured to international standards must work reliably across geographies, while grid interconnections should follow universal protocols, forming a shared technical language to drive sustainability.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare described the event as a “historic occasion” that brings together technical expertise, policy insight and institutional leadership. She noted that India, now IEC Vice President, is actively engaged in 121 technical committees with observer status in 51 others.

The five-day meeting has drawn more than 2,000 experts to shape standards for solar PV, smart grids and AI governance, which will influence global energy infrastructure for decades. India, hosting the IEC meeting for the fourth time, will also serve as the Global Secretariat for Standardisation in Low Voltage Direct Current, a critical clean energy technology.

The IEC, founded in 1906, develops global standards for electrical and electronic technologies through a network of 30,000 experts. Cops stressed that these standards are not merely technical but “blueprints for the world we are building.