ISA Asia-Pacific Meet To Boost Regional Solar Action

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will host the Seventh Regional Committee Meeting (RCM) of the Asia and the Pacific Region on 15–17 July 2025 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This is a high-level gathering that will congregate a cross-section of government ministers and officials, technical and academic institutions, think tanks, private sector leaders, regional and international partners in order to push solar energy cooperation in one of the world's most ethnically diverse and opportunity-rich parts.

With the motto 'Advancing Solar Cooperation Across a Region of Diversity and Opportunity', the RCM will launch a coordinated regional effort to drive up solar deployment by means of strategic partnerships, technological innovation, and finance collaboration. The forum will serve as a platform for policy learning, action-oriented outcomes that support the Asia-Pacific region as the driving force in the world's transition towards a low-carbon, solar-powered future.

Referring to the significance of this meeting, ISA Director General Mr Ashish Khanna highlighted the point that Asia-Pacific is in the center of the global energy transformation. He also mentioned that the Colombo meeting is a timely one to build investment-ready, scalable solutions flexible across different country environments and technologies. He also emphasized the importance of emphasizing regional platforms for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), regional interconnectivity of nations, increasing regional institutional capacities, and speeding up integration of new technologies such as Green Hydrogen and energy storage technologies.

The regional Vice President, on behalf of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, will preside over the meeting. It is drafted to join regional solar interests with the changing global strategy of ISA on four pillars. These are the Catalytic Finance Hub with a view to scaling up catalytic and blended finance programs to de-risk investment in solar for the region; the Global Capability Centre that reflects ISA's vision of developing a 'Silicon Valley for Solar' through a hub-and-spoke approach centered on STAR Centres and technical assistance; development of Regional and Country-Level Platforms such as a digital e-tendering and procurement platform for SIDS; and development of a robust Technology Roadmap enabled by innovative policy frameworks for Green Hydrogen and long-duration energy storage in country energy plans.

The Colombo RCM will also gain from the findings of the ISA–Asian Development Bank (ADB) joint program on Green Hydrogen ecosystem readiness, which were showcased prominently at the Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) 2025 in Manila. At ACEF, ISA published a series of strategic reports such as the Framework for Green Hydrogen Hubs, readiness studies at the country level, and roadmaps for long-duration energy storage systems. These products of knowledge will feed into the RCM discussions directly, assisting member states to frame policy guidelines that are actionable and speed up the deployment of new technology.

There will also be thematic sessions on matters of high priority. One of them will discuss possibilities for operationalizing the SIDS Solar Platform through the establishment of an open regional e-marketplace for island states. This session will cover regional governance frameworks, ownership structures, and best practice case study lessons within the region. Institutional capacity development will be covered in further detail, with an exhibition of STAR Centres in Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, and Kiribati. Focus in this case will be on establishing regional digital learning platforms to close technical skills gaps and produce solar knowledge.

Under the theme of technological innovation, the delegates will negotiate policy alternatives and project pipelines to help move forward with Green Hydrogen, energy storage, and electric mobility, particularly in SIDS and LDCs. The second overarching theme will be regional interconnections, where the delegates will engage in discussion on cross-border solar energy trade agreements, infrastructure financing models, and ways to leverage existing grid networks to avoid costs and bring solar access to the maximum.

One of the biggest achievements of the event will be the signing of Country Partnership Frameworks with several ISA member nations. These frameworks are expected to deepen ISA's on-the-ground action and unleash regional resources to deploy solar energy. ISA will also sign new Partnership Agreements with key regional and international institutions to promote collaborative efforts in solar. The opening of additional STAR Centres across the Asia-Pacific region will also be discussed at the meeting, as a further step in ISA's strategy of building local leadership, technical capacity, and solar innovation at the regional level.

The Regional Committee Meeting is a significant step towards the ISA vision of placing regional action and leadership at the forefront of the global solar movement. As nations try to steer through a multifaceted energy and climate universe, the Colombo event guarantees pragmatic visions, strong alliances, and solutions for the future that are specific to the region's distinctive strengths and requirements. In accordance with the ISA Framework Agreement and the international climate agenda, the meeting is centered on reaffirming the Asia-Pacific's leadership in the pursuit of a sustainable, sun-powered tomorrow.