France commits 1 M EUR to International Solar Alliance ahead of COP26

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New Delhi, 1 June 2021

France will make an exceptional direct contribution of 1 million euros (9 crore INR) to the International Solar Alliance (ISA). This decision follows the phone call between President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26th May, during which the French President reiterated France’s active support for ISA.

As co-president of ISA, France is deeply committed to further strengthening this international organisation that has a vital role to play in raising global action on climate change and accelerating the energy transition, particularly in the run-up to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, which will take place in Glasgow in November 2021.

This contribution will benefit ISA’s flagship programme, STAR-C (Solar Technology Application Resource Centre), which provides capacity building and training activities on all aspects of solar energy development. The contribution will particularly serve in skilling programmes in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa.

On this occasion, the Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain, said: “France believes that scaling up solar power is key for meeting climate goals while ensuring socio-economic development. The International Solar Alliance is a prime example of how Indo-French initiatives can show the way on climate issues. In this crucial year for global action on climate change, France and India can and must do more together to continue showing the way. That is why we have joined forces through the Indo-French Year of the Environment, to boost our bilateral cooperation throughout 2021 and work together on unlocking ambitious commitments in view of COP26”.

The International Solar Alliance, headquartered in India, is a joint initiative of France and India, launched during COP21 with the aim of making an unprecedented effort to promote solar energy. Its founding summit was held in March 2018 in India and chaired by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Since then, the Alliance has grown to 76 members and is open, since January 2021, to all UN Member States. In October 2020, India and France were re-elected respectively as president and co-president of ISA, for a term of two years. France also funds two full-time experts in ISA’s Secretariat.

The Indo-French Year of the Environment was launched in January 2021 in Delhi by the French Minister for Ecological Transition, Ms Barbara Pompili, and Minister Prakash Javadekar. Throughout the year, the two countries bring their cooperation closer on issues like environmental protection, climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable urban development, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and coordinate ahead of multilateral summits.