Macron takes aim at US in climate speech

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has taken a jibe at Donald Trump for withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.

Mr Macron did not name the US President while speaking at the first meeting of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi.

However, while hailing the “solar mamas”, a group of women trained as solar engineers, he said the women had continued their mission to promote solar energy even after “some countries decided just to leave the floor and leave the Paris agreement”.

Mr Trump announced last June the US was withdrawing from the Paris Accord, which aims to slow the rise in global temperature by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Heads and ministers of dozens of countries are participating in the day-long solar summit, co-hosted by India and France.

The Alliance is an international body that promotes solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

It was launched by India and France on the sidelines of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.

Mr Macron added: “Because [solar mamas] decided it was good for them, for their children, their grandchildren, they decided to act and keep acting – and that’s why we are here, in order to act very concretely.”

India and France called for affordable solar technology and concessional finance for solar energy.

The summit will discuss regulations and standards, credit mechanisms, crowdfunding and sharing of technological breakthroughs to promote solar energy in the 121 countries associated with the Alliance, who all lie partly or fully between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.