India spearheads Global South's big push for renewable energy

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) India is leading the Global South in promoting cooperation for the sustainable use of renewable resources which are gaining further importance in the backdrop of the Middle East crisis that has led to disruptions in energy supplies, according to an article in The Manila Times.

The article, which describes India as a “technology and knowledge-sharing hub,” highlights that along with France, India co-founded the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in 2015 and hosts ISA’s world headquarters in Greater Delhi (NCR).

The treaty-based intergovernmental organisation is now composed of 124 signatory member countries, and it aims to mobilise $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030, primarily through its Global Solar Facility, a payment guarantee fund created by ISA to stimulate solar power projects.

India’s efforts have been lauded at a time when the Manila-based ADB and Asian countries are working for a major thrust to renewable energy resources.

In November 2026, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will launch the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo in New Delhi.

More than 50,000 delegates are expected to attend this event, which will take place alongside the 9th session of the ISA Assembly and the 4th International Conference on Green Hydrogen, the article states.

The article underscores that India and the Philippines have forged a substantive relationship in the field of clean energy as operationalised through the Joint Working Group on Renewable Energy.

Major bilateral partnerships have also been established by India with the European Union, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands.

These include the new energy accord signed recently with Australia covering renewables and critical minerals, the article by By J. Albert Gamboa further states.

Domestic momentum backs India’s ambition of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070. Originally part of the subcontinent’s climate action plan, this long-term vision requires a massive structural overhaul of the country’s energy, transport and industrial sectors. As of mid-2026, it has attained 288 GW of cumulative renewable capacity and is on track to reach its goal of 500 GW by 2030.

Utilising ISA as its primary vehicle for financial risk mitigation and technology transfer, India actively champions Africa’s distributed renewable energy sector. This Global South strategy specifically involves the deployment of clean power mini-grids to combat energy poverty in underserved African regions. The partnership operates through the Africa Solar Facility, a blended finance platform designed to unlock private commercial capital.

“Taken together, these efforts reflect India’s attempt to translate its diplomatic weight and economic scale as the world’s most populous nation into genuine leadership on sustainability for the Global South,” the article observes.

--IANS

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