From Ahmad Aidil Syukri Hamzah
NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Discussions on Malaysia's membership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) are still ongoing, said its director-general Dr. Ajay Mathur.
Speaking at an engagement session with ASEAN journalists here, Dr. Mathur stated that the Indian Ministry of Energy had recommended Malaysia's inclusion and expressed hope that this could be achieved soon.
"There have been extensive discussions, and the Ministry of Energy has recommended it. We are hopeful to see it happen soon. We look forward to finalising plans with Malaysia and Indonesia very soon," he said.
In September this year, ISA’s chief of operations, Joshua Wycliffe revealed that discussions were progressing, indicating Malaysia was keen to join the ISA, facilitated through close cooperation with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry.
ISA, established during the 2015 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris, is a collaborative initiative between India and France.
It aims to unite efforts in combating climate change by promoting and implementing solar energy solutions.
Currently, an estimated 100 countries are signatories, with about 90 having ratified to become full members.
The ISA has made significant progress in the ASEAN region, with Singapore joining the alliance a year ago, followed by Cambodia.
Malaysia has made significant progress in solar energy in recent years, recognising its importance for sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.
The National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) has set an ambitious goal of increasing solar energy from four percent to 58 percent by 2050.
During the session, Dr. Mathur also highlighted that ISA is considering Singapore as the potential hub for the ASEAN region's Global Solar Facility.
"We have launched the Global Solar Facility for Africa, and we are about to launch it in ASEAN. We are looking at Singapore as a hub," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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