ISA’s Special Assembly Elects Dr. Ajay Mathur As New Director General

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has announced Dr. Ajay Mathur as its new Director General following his election at the first special assembly, which was held virtually.

A confederacy of 73 member countries, ISA was established in late 2015 to facilitate the demand for and use of safe, sustainable, and affordable solar energy for all. Aiming at mobilizing over USD 1 trillion of investment into solar projects by 2030 through focused advocacy, policy, and regulatory support, capacity building, and overcoming perceived investment barriers.

Dr. Mathur has now replaced Mr. Upendra Tripathy, who has been serving as Director General since the ISA was founded in 2015. His leadership appointment to the ISA takes place in a year when addressing global climate change transition commitments will take center stage: 2021 started with the US’s renewed climate focus through the Biden administration and will culminate with COP26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference in the UK in November.

While inferring his emotions at the ISA’s special assembly, Dr. Mathur commented, “I am honored to lead the International Solar Alliance and am ambitious about what we can achieve together with our members and partners to transition to a safer, sustainable, equitable, and more prosperous future for all through solar energy.”

“ISA has a vital role to help establish the infrastructure and ecosystem for a zero-carbon emission future. With strong foundations already in place, my immediate focus is to identify and mobilize the opportunities and capital to accelerate our solarization goals in the interim and long-term,” Dr. Mathur continued.

The new Director General will take over the leadership of ISA on March 15, brings a wealth of leadership expertise across all key areas of the energy transition, from policy, research, and technology commercialization to financing, international cooperation, and institutional development.

Currently, Dr. Mathur is the Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a key driver of the energy transition to renewables and reduction in urban air pollution for the past five years. He has held leadership appointments at the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and the Green Climate Fund. Interestingly, he received an IconSWM-CE Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to environmental protection in 2020.

“The ISA has grown to become an able global body working effectively towards energy access, energy security, and energy transition. I look forward to working constructively under our new Director General and alongside other esteemed Members to take this important mandate forward against a backdrop of growing support around the world for the low-carbon transition,” said R.K. Singh, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for India and ISA President.

As departing from ISA, outgoing Director General Upendra Tripathy commented, “I am grateful to all the member countries for their trust and support over the past five years which has seen ISA grow from an idea to the go-to international organization on solar energy that it is today.”

“It is so pleasing to see more and more countries joining the ISA to work together to pool efforts and resources to bring solar to the next level,” Mr. Upendra added.