Union Minister of Power & New and Renewable Energy and ISA Assembly president, R K Singh said India has taken the globally acknowledged initiative of energy transition.
It is time now for all countries to come together and contribute to solve each other’s problems, he said.
He was speaking on the solar energy development at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters in Delhi.
In her address, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said “India and the European Union (EU) are closely aligned in the fight against climate change.
Both India and the EU have embarked on their way to net zero emissions, she said.
And in both India and Europe, solar energy will play a key role to get there, she said.
Now, we need to step up EU-India cooperation in developing solar energy. We can learn from each other how to finance, promote, and deploy solar energy and how to secure global supply chains and material needed for solar panels, she said.
Union Ministry of New Renewable and Energy secretary Indu Shekhar Chaturved stated thar the global community is reposing increasing faith in International Solar Alliance as a critical instrument in the fight against climate change.
He added that the visit of EC President to ISA headquarters will lead to a renewed commitment from countries across the world to strengthen ISA’s efforts.
During the discussion, ISA DG, Ajay Mathur said the ISA resonates with the EC’s spirit of, ‘no person and no place left behind.’
He added that India’s collaboration with the EC and with the EU Member States is built on our synergistic multiplier effect, through making solar accessible, affordable, and available equitably.
The European Commission and ISA have had a strong collaboration ever since the establishment of the International Solar Alliance. At COP24 in 2018, the EU and the International Solar Alliance signed a joint declaration to promote solar energy.
The European Union and India are closely cooperating on climate action and on ensuring affordable, clean and secure energy, which is a focus area for both sides.
The current EU-India climate and energy relations are guided by the India-EU Clean Energy and Climate Partnership as agreed at the EU-India Summit on March 30, 2016, with the aim of reinforcing cooperation in the area of the clean energy transition and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
This partnership was reconfirmed in the joint statement at the EU-India Summit on October 6, 2017.
In the Joint Statement and the EU-India Strategic Partnership: A roadmap to 2025 agreed at the EU-India Summit on July 15 2020 as well as the joint statement adopted at the EU-India leaders meeting on May 8, 2021, also welcomed the strengthening of cooperation under the Clean Energy and Climate Partnership.
