The Indian company, which is building the controversial Carmichael thermal coal mine in central Queensland, is often depicted as one of Australia’s biggest threats to the environment, but is also on track to be one of the biggest producers of solar energy in the world.

And its founder and chairman, Gautum Adani, has said he wants the company to become carbon negative and help in India’s goal to expand its renewable energy capacity almost fivefold by 2030 to meet its climate commitments.

Bloomberg reported that Adani told a global energy conference he intended to continue investing in green hydrogen and renewables.

“We will do so by carefully balancing our energy migration from carbon positive to carbon neutral, and further on to carbon negative.”

“This sustainable investment route has certainly paid off for our stakeholders,” Adani said. 

“Since January 2020, the value of our renewables business has increased over 600 times, thereby yielding one of the best returns across all stock markets.”

“We must be careful that our voice for the environment does not crush the aspirations of the thousands that lack electricity,” he said.