Glasgow, Scotland – US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced today that the US has joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a member country.
“It has long been coming, and we are happy to join the International Solar Alliance, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead in making,” said Kerry. “We worked out the details and this is a process we are pleased to be a part of. This will be an important contribution to more rapid deployment of solar globally. It will be particularly important for developing countries.”
Welcoming the US as the 101st member of the ISA, India’s Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Mr. Bhupender Yadav said that this move will “strengthen the ISA and propel future action on providing a clean source of energy to the world.”
On November 2, the ISA, India Presidency of the ISA, and the UK COP Presidency launched the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid’ (GGI-OSOWOG), during the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. The Steering Committee of GGI-OSOWOG is comprised of five members – the US, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and India. To help deliver the vision of One Sun One World One Grid, 80 countries have resolved to combine their efforts to create more inter-connected grids, endorsing the One Sun Declaration.
At a steering committee meeting of GGI-OSOWOG, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that the, “United States is excited to be back in the climate conversation”. Citing the One Sun Declaration, Secretary Granholm said that, “all the energy humanity uses in a year is equal to the energy that reaches the earth from the sun in a single hour. The GGI-OSOWOG is focusing on the two most important pieces of the puzzle. We at the US Department of Energy are happy to be a partner with GGI-OSOWOG.”
Background
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched in 2015 at the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the former President of France Mr. Francois Hollande. The launch was attended by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the heads of state of about 120 nations who affirmed their participation in the Alliance to dedicate efforts for promotion of solar energy.
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