"Energy security and its sovereignty key priorities of India, France": French Special Envoy for Climate negotiations

New Delhi [India], October 29 : Benoit Faraco, France's Special Envoy for Climate Negotiations, co-chaired the 8th session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly alongside Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, in New Delhi.

Addressing a press conference, Benoit Faraco emphasised that energy sovereignty and energy security are key priorities for France and India, focusing on scarce resources and highlighting the need for renewable energy.

"Energy sovereignty and energy security are key priorities for France, and I understand it's key for India too. We have been living in a world of excessive dependency, including in the fossil fuel economy. In Europe, we are not oil or gas producers. We have very few resources, and we have developed our economy on the basis of dependence on countries that produce oil and gas. And I think it's a top priority for all of us not to make the same mistakes when we turn to the energy transition," Benoit Faraco said.

"We know that in the next decade, we will have hundreds of billions of investment in renewable energy, and I think it's fair and just for every country to benefit from it. So I think dialogue under the International Solar Alliance, but also initiatives on critical minerals, such as the one developed by the United Nations Secretary General, can be good opportunities for all partners to create a transparent and connected market on the supply chain, but also on the manufacture of solar panels and other renewable goods," he added.

According to a release, ISA Assembly focused on accelerating solar deployment and scaling up catalytic financing, innovation, and skills to drive the transition from ambition to action. The discussions underscored the pivotal role of the ISA in fostering affordable, inclusive solar energy solutions worldwide. On this occasion, France also announced financial support to ISA's flagship initiative, the Africa Solar Facility.

Representing France, the Co-President of the International Solar Alliance, Eleonore Caroit, French Minister of State for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad, said in a video message "France attaches the utmost importance to the International Solar Alfiance, which plays a pivotal role in advancing solar energy. Since the launch of the Alliance nearly ten years ago, France has had the honour of serving as co-president alongside India. This longstanding partnership reflects our country's unwavering commitment to the success of the Alliance and the acceleration of the energy transition through solar power."

Benoit Faraco, Special Envoy for Climate Negotiations, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said, "The Alliance's work directly contributes to the implementation of COP decisions. Ten years ago, we adopted the Paris Agreement and decided on a common objective to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Ten years ago, we launched the ISA because India, France and many partners knew that to succeed, we would need tools like this one. We look forward to seeing ISA showcase its success at COP30 this November."

On the sidelines of the Assembly, Benoit Faraco met with Minister Pralhad Joshi to reaffirm France and India's shared determination to accelerate solar energy deployment and promote a sustainable, resilient energy future in the run-up to COP30, the release stated.

He also held discussions with Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA, on mobilising catalytic financing and building technical capacities to scale up solar energy and make it accessible to all, ahead of COP30, where France aims to strengthen collective ambition on clean energy.

Benoit Faraco met Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW and Special Envoy for South Asia for COP30, to explore ways to enhance cooperation on climate adaptation, mitigation, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Faraco further met Cheikh Niane, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy of Senegal, to discuss energy transition and ISA capacity building projects in Senegal.

The ISA is a collaborative initiative between India and France aimed at uniting efforts to combat climate change by implementing solar energy solutions. It was conceptualised on the sidelines of COP21 in Paris in 2015.

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