New Delhi: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will convene the Seventh Regional Committee Meeting (RCM) for the Asia and the Pacific Region from 15 to 17 July 2025 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to chart a coordinated strategy for scaling up solar deployment across the region. The meeting will bring together government representatives, think tanks, technical institutions, and private sector players under the theme “Advancing Solar Cooperation Across a Region of Diversity and Opportunity.”
In a statement issued on July 7, the ISA said the RCM will align country-level and regional priorities with the ISA’s evolving global solar strategy, and support action-oriented outcomes on technology, financing, policy, and institutional capacity.
The RCM, chaired by the Vice President from the region — the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka — will focus on ISA’s four strategic pillars: expanding catalytic finance initiatives to de-risk investments; strengthening ISA’s Global Capability Centre and STAR Centres; supporting regional e-marketplaces and country platforms, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS); and enabling the adoption of emerging technologies, including Green Hydrogen and long-duration energy storage.
ISA Director General Ashish Khanna called the region “the heart of the global energy transition” and said the Colombo meeting offers an opportunity to “develop practical, investment-ready solutions with the potential to scale across countries and technologies.”
The meeting will also build on ISA’s recent work with the Asian Development Bank, including the release of key reports on Green Hydrogen Hubs, Energy Storage Systems, and Ecosystem Readiness, launched during the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2025 in Manila. These documents will guide policy dialogues and help fast-track project deployment across the region.
The agenda includes thematic sessions on:
Operationalising the SIDS Solar Platform: Building a transparent regional e-marketplace tailored for Small Island Developing States, focusing on institutional design, ownership models, and regional case studies.
Strengthening Institutional Capacity through STAR Centres and the Global Capability Centre: Highlighting successful operational models in Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, and Kiribati, and co-developing digital learning platforms to close regional skill gaps.
Accelerating Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage, and E-Mobility: Developing policy pathways and project pipelines for emerging solutions, especially targeting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Advancing Regional Interconnections: Exploring frameworks for cross-border solar trade, new financing models, and leveraging regional grid infrastructure to expand solar access and lower costs.
The RCM will also see the signing of Country Partnership Frameworks and strategic collaboration agreements with regional and international bodies. Discussions will cover the establishment of new STAR Centres to strengthen institutional capacity and long-term solar readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.
ISA’s Regional Committees meet annually to review progress and guide future programming across its member countries. The Asia-Pacific region includes 28 Member Countries, 30 Signatory Countries, and 24 Prospective Countries — a total of 54 nations engaged in ISA’s regional work.
