President Paul Kagame has urged countries to continue to adopt the use of Solar Power saying that the move not only protects the environment but also protects people and their well-being
Kagame was speaking Saturday in New Delhi, India in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Founding Summit.
The alliance was launched at the Paris Climate Summit in 2015.
The Head of State said that the sunniest countries on Earth should not lack for energy. He said that the fact that they do is an unacceptable irony.
“It is fitting that more than half of countries that have signed and ratified the International Solar Alliance treaty are African,” he said.
“Solar power is part of the answer to climate change. To speed adoption and get environmental benefits, it has to be as reliable and affordable as other energy sources. We’re not just protecting the environment; we’re protecting people and their well-being,” he said.
To meet the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 targets, Kagame said that tremendous expansion in energy production is required in almost every African country.
The International Solar Alliance’s twin mission of facilitating technology transfer and innovative financing is timely, he added.
He urged that advances in solar energy production must be matched by the development of batteries capable of storing it and smart grids to distribute it to customers.
Using of the example of Rwanda, he said an 8.5MW solar power plant in Rwamagana has already helped to stabilise daytime power supply in Eastern Province. He said that the facility has also demonstrated that they can do much more.
“The one trillion dollars needed for solar investments globally in the coming years will obviously not come from governments alone. Public-private partnership is required. The International Solar Alliance’s proposed tools to mitigate credit risk send an important signal to the market that solar energy is a viable business,” he added.
He said, solar power will not address all of Africa’s energy needs, but it will continue to grow in importance as part of continent’s energy mix.
Kagame said that it’s important to continue to work together through the new institution and beyond, as a way to put collective resources and knowledge at the disposal of planet’s future.src:Igihe
The Express News
