Jifan Gao Elected Co-Chairman of the Global Solar Council
Trina Solar Limited has announced that its Chairman and CEO, Mr. Jifan Gao, has been elected a Co-Chairman of the Global Solar Council (the "GSC"). The GSC was officially launched on December 6, 2015 during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (the "COP21") and intends to establish its headquarters in China.
Held from November 30 to December 11 in Paris, France, the COP21 is the twenty-first annual conference on climate change led by the United Nations. The conference is attended by representatives from countries around the globe and aims to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate change, with the goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
The GSC was established by leading national and regional solar associations from both emerging and established markets to unify the entire solar power sector on an international level, share best practices and jointly accelerate solar deployment worldwide. The GSC believes that solar power is already one of the cheapest forms of electricity globally, a cost-effective means of fighting climate change, and the most versatile form of electricity generation. According to the GSC, to avoid a greater than 2 degrees Celsius increase in global temperature, it is imperative to strongly accelerate the deployment of solar power. A 10% share of global power generation by 2030, from less than 1% today, is possible given the right market conditions.
Mr. Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar and President of the China PV Industry Association, commented: "I am extremely honoured to represent the China PV Industry Association as a Co-Chairman of the GSC. I believe that the launch of the GSC marks a new era in the advancement of the solar industry and will form a unified force representing all members that share the same goal."
"Solar is becoming a major source of electricity generation today. I am very pleased to say that Trina Solar has shipped accumulative 15GW solar modules in the past ten years, equivalent to an annual reduction of approximately 18 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Being the most versatile form of electricity and thanks to its continuous decline in costs driven by technological advancements, I believe solar will play a more important and greater role than ever in tackling climate change problems. I am confident that the establishment of the GSC will further drive the global adaptation of solar and eventually help to forge new frontiers in combating climate change to benefit all mankind."
