Negotiators from 195 nations began talks to reach climate deal

India launched an International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the CoP21 Climate Conference here on Monday, with an announcement by Prime Minister Modi that the revolution in the field would bring power to all citizens, and create unlimited economic opportunity. The leaders of two countries that are drifting further apart at the wrong time in their respective histories chose to acknowledge each other’s presence.

International Solar Alliance initiative will serve as a common platform for cooperation among countries having rich solar resource potential, lying fully or practically between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn for the implementation of solar projects and infrastructure.

Leaders from more than 190 countries have gathered in Paris this week to discuss a new agreement for fighting climate change in the next century.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change also opened a pavilion at the Paris Climate change conference which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Modi noted that embracing clean energy is the only way to revert the looming danger posed by the fossil fuel.

To highlight the importance of solar energy, Modi said that in Indian tradition, Sun is the source of all forms of energy. “The goal is how we can work together, to develop programmes that help us all, to aggregate demand, work towards standards that help higher quality products, work out ways on the kind of investments that are required and others”, Mathur said.

Noting that conventional energy was still needed, Modi said it should be made clean and an end to its use should not be imposed.

He said India’s progress is “our destiny and right of our people”.

“India stands to be affected severely from the effects of climate change in the coming decades”.

Analysts welcomed the move as a sign India was taking a more proactive stance on climate change.

During their meeting, Modi urged the USA president to ensure that development would be coupled with environmental protection, saying that the Indian government would work hard to achieve the target.

As part of another commitment, 19 countries, including the U.S., pledged $20bn for clean energy research, with the money to be disbursed in the next five years. India has announced an ambitious targets to install 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022.

In his speech at the UN Climate Summit (COP-21), Modi said the prosperous still have strong carbon footprint but the world’s billions at the bottom of the development ladder are seeking space to grow.