(Bloomberg) -- The world needs a “renewables revolution,” backed by financial support from the wealthiest nations, to deal with climate change, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.

Guterres, speaking in Mumbai on Wednesday during a three-day visit to India, called for a “coalition of support” to accelerate the deployment of clean energy. He urged nations to reduce the cost of capital for expanding clean energy in developing economies, and to diversify supply chains and manufacturing capacity. 

The UN chief supported India’s ambitions to become a global leader in solar, wind and clean hydrogen, and backed the government’s demand that rich nations fund emissions mitigation efforts.

“I will continue to urge developed countries who bear a historic responsibility to provide finance to the developing world,” Guterres said. “It is clear that countries that had no part in creating this crisis cannot continue to pay the highest price for it.”

India has suffered some of the worst impacts of climate change, with heat waves parching its grain fields and erratic rains flooding parts of the country, damaging property and disrupting lives. 

The country has set record targets for expansion of renewable energy, yet its coal use is expected to keep rising at least for the next decade. The fuel produces nearly 70% of India’s electricity, and the country will need energy storage prices to come down significantly to shed its dependence. 

Guterres said critical renewables technologies such as battery storage should be treated as global public goods. 

The UN chief spoke at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, addressing some of the country’s best minds in engineering and technology. He urged the students to work on solutions to climate change and desist from working “for those who are wrecking our climate.”  

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