Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson jointly launched the `one world, one sun, one grid’ initiative at the COP 26 Climate Meet in Glasgow on Tuesday, envisioning a global ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy green grids.

Modi also announced that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would make available a solar calculator that would inform countries about the solar potential of any place on the earth using satellite data.

“The sun produces in just one hour the amount of energy used by all humans in one year. This energy is totally clean and sustainable. The only challenge is that this energy is available only during day time and is dependent on the weather. The `one sun, one world, one grid’ initiative is the answer to this challenge,” the PM said speaking at the session on ‘Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment’.

The initiative brings together the International Solar Alliance and the UK’s green grid initiative and complements India’s focus on harnessing the sun’s energy.

With one worldwide grid, we can access clean energy at all places, the PM said. The need to store energy would also lessen, and the viability of solar projects will increase, he added.

Elaborating on ISRO’s solar energy calculator, Modi said that the application will help decide solar projects’ location and would also strengthen the `one sun, one world, one grid’ initiative.

In a side event, 'Build Back Better for the World' initiated by US President Joe Biden, Modi underlined the need to ensure four aspects in infrastructure creation. These include climate resilience, incorporating traditional knowledge and prioritising the poor & vulnerable and sustainable & transparent finance that respects all countries’ sovereignty & territorial integrity.

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