India and France re-elected at the International Solar Alliance

Shristi Biswas

18th October 2020

India and France have now been re-elected as the president and co-president of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two-year at its third assembly. As per an official statement, Fiji and Nauru were chosen as the vice-presidents for Asia Pacific Region while Mauritius and Niger will be the vice-presidents for Africa Region. The UK along with the Netherlands will hold this responsibility for Europe and also, Cuba and Guyana are the vice presidents for Latin America and Caribbean region.

PM Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron (Source: PTI)

The President of the Assembly, RK Singh, India’s Power, and New and Renewable Energy Minister acknowledged that Alliance Members will be together to work for combating climate change. “Solar energy is contributing nearly 2.8 per cent of global electricity, and if it continues, by 2030, solar will become one of the most important sources of energy for electricity production in large parts of the world,” said RK Singh.

Barbara Pompili, who is the Co-President of the Assembly and France's Ecological Transition Minister, emphasizes ISA's role to help redirect funding towards renewable energy and take up the challenge of energy for the service of all. France supported the partnership with the World Bank by initiating the facility 'Sustainable Renewables Risk Mitigation Initiative' to help mobilize €18 billion in private investment.

According to The Hindu, the ISA's assembly was presented with the report prepared by the World Resources Institute (WRI), which puts forth the sources of funds, opportunities and constraints, scaling up the investments in solar. The contribution of ISA in assisting member countries was also put forth and hence the assembly appreciated the move of the ISA to collaborate with WRI to develop a roadmap for mobilisation of $1 trillion by 2030 for implementing the vision of ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’.

In the extremity of the global pandemic, ISA responded by introducing ‘ISA CARES’, an initiative dedicated to deploying solar energy in the healthcare sector. This initiative focuses on solarising one primary health sector in each district of target member countries.

The ISA is an initiative launched on the 30th of November 2015, by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France in Paris on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of the Parties (Paris Climate Conference). The ISA's objective is to address common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries collectively.

(Sources: The Hindu, Business Standard, Zee news)

Edited by: Keyuri