International Solar Alliance (ISA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sign MOU in Montreal

(L-R) ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano, India's Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar and France's Transport Minister Clement Beaunne. Photo: Twitter

Cochin International Airport in India became the world’s first fully solar-powered airport in the world in 2015

 

MONTREAL: In a ceremony held on the sidelines of the 41st session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal on Monday, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the ICAO in the presence of India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, France’s Transport Minister Clement Beaunne and ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.

The MOU was signed by ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar and ISA Chief of Operations Joshua Wycliffe.

Last May, during his visit to Montreal, Scindia mooted the idea of the ICAO becoming a partner organization of the ISA with Sciacchitano. The MOU was agreed on and completed within four months.

The conclusion of the MOU in the presence of Scindia and Beaunne carries forward the legacy of the bold initiative taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then-French President Francois Hollande in 2015 at COP 21 [21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change].

The ISA is an alliance of 121 signatory countries and 32 partner organizations including many UN organizations. The ISA works for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, It strives to devise cost effective and transformational solutions fort using renewable energy to member countries with a particular focus in delivering on impact in LDCs [least developed countries] and SIDCs [small island developing states].

India has pledged for Net Zero Carbon goal in 2070 in COP 26. It says its approach continues to be human centric based on respect and national ownership principles with a commitment to one and all. India has pledged a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy of which 100 GW will be solar energy by 2022, and reduction in emission intensity by 33-35 per cent by 2030 to let solar energy reach the most unconnected villages and communities. Cochin International Airport in India became the world’s first fully solar-powered airport in the world in 2015.

India, with the support of France, has invited nations to facilitate infrastructure for implementation of solar projects. The alliance has committed one trillion dollars as investment and it is committed to making the costs of solar power more affordable for remote and inaccessible communities.

The ICAO is committed to reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector through its numerous initiatives and goals, and the partnership between the ISA and the ICAO through this MOU could not have come at a better time as it will trigger a range of interventions towards developing the capacity of the states to use solar energy. It will work towards providing information, providing advocacy, capacity building and demonstration projects. It will enable the solarization of the aviation sector across all member states.