The UN COP21 climate talks are the most comprehensive thus far and are showing that countries actually are preparing to and are taking action on climate change. The solar industry is posed to be part of the answer and as is increasingly working together to do so. Yesterday (Dec. 7) at the conference the industry announced the Global Solar Council (GSC) in an attempt to share best practices and bring the solar power industry together at an international level.

"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," said Trina Solar. That companys CEO Jifan Gao was named one of the co-chairs of the GSC.

"I am extremely honored to represent the China PV Industry Association as a Co-Chairman of the GSC," Gao said. "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."

The GSC is working with developed nations as well as emerging nations. Emerging nations are quickly becoming one of the biggest markets for solar in the world, recently their investments in solar outweighed those of developed nations.

The Chairman of the GSC is Bruce Douglas, chief operating officer of SolarPower Europe. "Today the solar power sector has united to fight climate change," Douglas said. "There is consensus that solar power will become the principal source of electricity generation. It has a hugely important role to play in the international efforts to ultimately eliminate carbon emissions from the power sector."

Solar power will be imperative to avoiding a greater than 2 degrees Celsius increase in global temperature, according to the GSC. "A 10 percent share of global power generation by 2030, from less than 1 percent today, is possible given the right market conditions," it said. The organization contended that the cost of solar has fallen 80 percent since 2009 when the COP15 climate talks were held, making it one of the least expensive forms of electric generation internationally and with continually falling prices. It added that solar power is the most versatile form of electricity generation.