NEW DELHI: The European Union has transferred the rights of the logo for the International Solar Alliance, a coalition of solar resource-rich countries, to the ISA Secretariat located in Gurgaon.
The ISA logo consists of 121 dots. Each dot represents one of the 121 countries that are part of the alliance.
The ISA has a shared ambition to reduce the cost of solar finance and technology, mobilise over USD 1,000 billion of investments needed by 2030 for deployment of solar energy, and to pave the way for future technologies adapted to the needs.
The logo was designed and developed by Andrzej Uwitniewski and Marek Zaborowski under the EU technical assistant project for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The logo was transferred to ISA Secretariat at a ceremony attended by European Union Ambassador Tomasz Kozlowski, ISA Interim Director General Upendra Tripathy and MNRE Secretary Anand Kumar.
“Sustainable development is at the heart of EU-India relations and we are well advanced in our clean energy and climate partnership. The EU and India are committed to implementing the Paris Agreement and are collaborating closely in the area of off-shore wind, solar parks, roof-top solar, urbanisation, circular economy, waste management. We are looking at formalising our support to the ISA in the coming months,” Kozlowski said.
The EU is also supporting the ISA through the European Investment Bank (EIB), the largest climate financier in the world.
India was the leading recipient of the EIB financing for solar investment outside the European Union, both in 2017 and overall since 2013.
The EIB has approved a total of EUR 640 million of new investment in solar projects in India to provide clean energy to an estimated 4.2 million households and save more than 4 million tons of carbon emissions.
“Closer cooperation between the European Union and the International Solar Alliance demonstrates the shared commitment to tackle climate change. Working with the EU is crucial to mobilise climate finance and share technical expertise. Its unique experience of successfully supporting renewable energy development in its member countries as well as in the world will enhance the efforts of the ISA in the years ahead,” Tripathy said.
The ISA was launched at the landmark UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of 2015 by former French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The founding conference of the ISA was held in New Delhi in March this year. It was attended by the heads of state and government and representatives of the 121 countries. PTI
