New Delhi, March 12, 2018: The founding conference of the International Solar Alliance – ISA- got under way here on Sunday in a grand manner and the international treaty-based body was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron and other global leaders.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi emphasised that “for combating climate change, the global community needs to look at the ancient idea of Vedas to find a way”.”Bharat mein Surya ko purey jibon ka poshak mana gaya hae (Veda’s consider the Sun as the soul of the world). Sun is actually considered as a life nurturer in India,” he said at the conference wherein various nation heads and global leaders from across the globe have lauded the role and “exemplary leadership” of PM Modi and the French President Macron.
Prime Minister said while it is true that Sun has always helped all civilisations flourish in the globe, but the importance and “centre stage” position given to Sun in India is “unique”.
Laying emphasis on united efforts globally to deal with the challenge, Mr Modi quoted Mahatma Gandhi and said “The difference in what we do and what we are capable of doing, will suffice and help solve world’s most problems”.
In his speech, Mr Modi said a “small sapling” has come up after he had first sown the seed for such a global body in 2015.The ISA initiative is often billed as a feather in Prime Minister Modi’s cap as the move was first proposed by Mr Modi in a speech in November 2015 at Wembley Stadium in London where he referred ‘sunshine’ countries as Suryaputra (“Sons of the Sun”).
ISA is a treaty-based international body for promotion of solar energy in coordination among 121 countries, which are fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.As an initiative, it was given a broad shape at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on November 30, 2015 by Prime Minister Modi and the then French President Francois Hollande.
Hosted jointly by visiting French president Macron and Mr Modi, the founding conference in Delhi on Sunday is drawing a common strategy to deal with threats of climate change and global warming. At least 23 Heads of nations and several ministerial representatives of different countries are discussing on strategy for dealing with the identified gaps in climate related matters through a common and agreed approach. Mr Modi also announced launching of a Solar Technology Mission in India. This Mission will address all issues related to research and development on solar energy matters, he said.
Mr Modi also shared his 10 points of Actions to deal with the threat of climate change vis-a-vis making solar energy a true catalyst for the future roadmap. As clear gestures, India’s commitment to the ISA, Prime Minister said at lest 500 training slots will be created for member countries.
To supplement solar energy generation, India has distributed 28 crore LED bulbs in the last three years which have helped save $2 billion and 4 GW of electricity, he said.
Mr Modi called for concessional financing and less-risky funds being made available for such projects and said for achieving the ISA target of over 1,000 GW of solar generation capacity and mobilisation of investment of over $1 trillion by 2030.India will generate 175 GW of electricity from renewable sources including 100 GW from solar sources, he said.
In his speech, French President Macron said while the world has taken great strides in understanding the importance of solar energy but there is need for doing much.
At the plenary session, Paul Kagame, President of Rawanda, stressed on the need of Public Private Partnership in the endeavours to promote solar energy.
Among others, President of Bangladesh, Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lankan President and Patricia Espinosa of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) also spoke.
UNI
