India shines a solar alliance at Paris climate summit

The alliance will support India in building 100 gigawatts of solar energy by 2022, he said. “Stemming the tide of climate change is a global challenge that requires collective action”.

Modi stressed that climate justice demands that, with the little carbon space that is still available, developing countries should have enough scope to grow.

This day is the sunrise of new hope – not just for clean energy, but for villages and homes still in darkness; and for our mornings and evenings filled with a clear view of the glory of the Sunday.

He said several mitigation initiatives including promotion of affordable renewable technologies, measures towards energy efficiency, implementation of mass transport systems and expansion of hydro-electrical potential are already part of our development strategy.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Modi said, “Our society should take up the responsibility of reforming itself and discarding incorrect practices of past”. “We will enlarge our forest cover to absorb at least 2.5 billion tonnes worth of carbon dioxide”, Modi said.

India will provide land and US$30 million to form a secretariat for the alliance and also support it for five years, Modi revealed at the launch, flanked by French president Francois Hollande on the sidelines of COP21 in Paris.

Today, when the energy sources and excesses of our industrial age have put our planet in peril, the world must turn to Sun to power our future.

Mr. Modi and Mr. Sharif came under one roof during a peacekeeping summit held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, but only waved at each other and did not speak or shake hands.

A Pakistani official, who was present, said the Indian Prime Minister looked keen on talking with Sharif which may lead to the creation of a better atmosphere for an Indo-Pak dialogue. “The dream of universal access to clean energy is becoming more real”.

US-based non-governmental global research organisation World Resource Institute managing director Manish Bapna said: “The worldwide alliance brings together developing and developed countries to expand energy access, accelerate solar power deployment, and stimulate economic development”. He called on the developed countries to “enhance” their INDCs for 2030, and for a global stocktaking that would point the countries in the right direction for the next set of INDCs.

Through worldwide cooperation, the alliance is expected to help advance technology exchange and innovation as well as create new business opportunities, Bapna added.