ISA Hosts Sixth Regional Meet In Brussels, Calls For Unity And Strong European Leadership To Achieve Global Clean Energy

The Sixth Meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Regional Committee for Europe and the Others Region was held today in Brussels, chaired by the Federal Republic of Germany in its role as Regional Vice President. The gathering brought together representatives from 20 countries across the region, along with international partners, to assess progress, align on strategic priorities, and strengthen collaboration to advance ISA’s mission of expanding global access to solar energy. The meeting served as a critical platform to reinforce regional engagement and shape the next phase of ISA’s global agenda.

Mr Ashish Khanna, Director General of USA, thanked everyone for their presence in his opening address and stated, “Your presence here today reflects our shared commitment to advancing the global transition to solar energy. Our focus must now turn to ensuring these advancements translate into jobs, equity, and climate resilience. At the same time, we face critical contradictions and concerns regarding solar energy. Data states that nearly $2 trillion was invested in clean energy in the last fiscal year alone, with solar photovoltaics leading the way and holding the largest share of these investments. Despite this growth, the distribution remains unequal. Only 15% of these investments are reaching low- and middle-income countries, and less than 2% is going to Africa, a region with some of the world’s best solar radiation potential.”

He continued, “With 600 million people in Africa still living without access to electricity—and across the Global South, where 70% of the world’s population resides—there is an urgent need for nearly $200 billion in investments. ISA is mobilising $200 million to leverage more than 30 times the private investment in Distributed Renewable Energy in Africa while connecting 16 Centres of Excellence with digitalisation support from Global Capability Centres (GCC’s); providing technology and policy roadmaps while engaging in-depth across select countries.”

Mr. Tobias Rinke, Deputy Head of Division at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, opened the meeting by reaffirming the collective commitment to accelerating the adoption of solar energy and ensuring its benefits are accessible to all. He highlighted the significant growth of the International Solar Alliance, which now includes 123 member and signatory countries, and noted that active regional participation has doubled since 2022. He underlined that this gathering comes at an opportune time, especially following the global commitments made at COP28 in Dubai, where countries agreed to triple renewable energy capacity, improve energy efficiency by 2030, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Mr. Rinke emphasized that solar energy has a central role to play in achieving these targets—not only by reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also by enhancing energy security, reducing fossil fuel imports, supporting economic growth, and generating quality employment opportunities. He also recognized the strong potential of the Europe and Others Region, home to some of the most advanced economies, leading innovators, and pioneers in green technologies. He noted that with its technological, financial, and institutional strengths, the region is well positioned to lead the global clean energy transition. Germany, during its vice presidency, expressed its commitment to working collaboratively with regional partners to develop a shared vision for ISA’s future.

One of the key discussions during the meeting featured Ms. Laura Cozzi, Director of Sustainability, Technology, and Outlooks at the International Energy Agency (IEA), in conversation with Mr. Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA. Their dialogue focused on the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming global energy systems. Ms. Cozzi pointed out that while AI is increasing electricity consumption—particularly through the rise of energy-intensive data centres—it is also offering transformative tools to improve grid efficiency and speed up the integration of renewable energy, including solar.

She shared that the projected growth of AI-related infrastructure could result in electricity demand equivalent to that of Japan by 2030. Despite this, she underscored AI’s potential to support the deployment of solar energy and expand energy access in regions like the Global South. She also announced the launch of the International Energy Agency’s new Energy and AI Observatory, aimed at monitoring trends and promoting practical applications of AI in the energy sector.

Another fireside chat, themed ‘Changing Paradigm’, featured a wide-ranging discussion between Mr. Khanna and Ms. Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), exploring the evolving role of philanthropy in climate finance. The conversation focused on the urgency of scaling up sustainable investment in a landscape marked by declining traditional aid flows. Ms. Hampton stressed that while there is no shortage of debt capital, the real bottleneck lies in the availability of catalytic or patient equity—early-stage financing needed to unlock larger private investments.

She highlighted philanthropy’s unique role in bridging this gap by supporting country-level platforms with technical assistance, policy engagement, and junior equity contributions. Additionally, she identified the shortage of trained professionals who can navigate the complex interfaces of policy, finance, and project implementation as a major constraint. She emphasized that philanthropy can play a crucial role in developing this much-needed capacity.

The keynote address was delivered by H.E. Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing at the European Commission. He spoke on the pressing need for Europe to respond to rising energy costs and intensifying climate challenges. He underscored solar energy as a vital part of the solution, highlighting its role in reducing dependency on fossil fuels, lowering emissions, and enhancing economic competitiveness. He noted that over the past decade, the cost of solar power in the European Union has dropped by 82%, with an additional 12% global decline recorded in 2023. These trends, he said, make solar the fastest-growing and most cost-effective clean energy source available today.

In addition to the plenary sessions and keynote discussions, the meeting also included thematic dialogues on several critical issues. These included catalytic finance opportunities in Africa, institutional strengthening through ISA’s STAR-Cs and Global Capability Centre initiatives, the role of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in the energy sector, and a dedicated roundtable on energy storage and green hydrogen. These sessions aimed to explore solutions that can accelerate the deployment of solar technologies and support energy transition efforts both within the region and globally.