India pitches solar as lifeline for vulnerable island nations at COP30

BELEM: Calling for coordinated global efforts to strengthen energy security for Small Island Developing States, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has highlighted solar power as a tool of transformation and social revolution. Speaking at the High-Level Ministerial Leadership Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) SIDS Platform on Wednesday, Yadav also underlined Indias support to island nations through ISA and pointed to the countrys rapid expansion in clean energy. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face unique vulnerabilities due to their dependence on imported fossil fuels, climate-related disruptions and fragile infrastructure, Yadav said as he stressed that collective action is essential to scale affordable, clean and resilient energy systems. The ISA SIDS Platform aims to create a digital and financial ecosystem to ease access to solar technologies through standardised procurement, blended finance and local capacity building. The High-Level Ministerial Leadership Session, held on the sidelines of UNFCCC COP30 here, brought together Ministers and senior representatives from SIDS and member nations of the ISA. Underscoring Indias support to the island nations through the ISA, Yadav detailed the countrys rapid expansion in clean energy as he said: Today, India has crossed 500 gigawatts of installed electricity capacity and more than half of it is clean energy. India has already reached 50 per cent non-fossil energy capacity, five years ahead of its NDC target. Calling India worlds fourth-largest renewable energy producer and third in solar power, Yadav attributed the progress to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his belief in Scale, Speed, and in the power of ordinary people. The minister shared examples from Indias 'PM Surya Ghar Rooftop Solar Programme' and highlighted Indias push for solar in remote regions through the PM JANMAN scheme and the country's investments in large-scale storage. More than 20 lakh households have adopted rooftop solar, which Yadav described as freedom for every household and a mini power plant on every roof. India's farmers work with the sun and sleep with peace, as solar pumps and feeders replace diesel, reduce costs and improve reliability, he described. Yadav went on to describe how India is building some of the worlds biggest integrated solar-and-battery projects, including one in Ladakh designed to store enough clean energy to light up an entire city. Such models can help SIDS cut diesel imports and strengthen climate resilience, the minister added. Reiterating Indias commitment to the ISA, Yadav noted that over 124 countries are now members of the Alliance. Think of ISA as a global solar family from the islands of the Pacific to the savannas of Africa to the mountains of South America, he said, adding that the Alliance is accelerating project design, mobilising finance and creating local jobs. Solar energy is spreading its light in more than technological ways. It is Hope and Empowerment. It is Independence. It is Dignity. It is Peace, he said, calling for shared global action. Representatives from island nations welcomed Indias progress in the solar sector and backed the ISA SIDS platform to unlock renewable energy potential, strengthen workforce skills, derisk finance and build resilient energy systems that are critical both for climate and socio-economic development. Established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then French President Francois Hollande on November 30, 2015 on the sidelines of COP21 in Paris, the ISA aims at mobilising more than USD 1 trillion of investment needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of solar power with an objective to scale up solar energy while reducing technology and financing costs.