Global Solar Council Appoints Sonia Dunlop as New CEO, Strengthening its Leadership to Drive Solar Power Growth

London, 8 November 2023 - The Global Solar Council (GSC) has announced the appointment of Sonia Dunlop as its new CEO. With a distinguished career spanning nearly 15 years in the solar PV industry, renewables policy and climate change finance, Sonia Dunlop brings a wealth of experience and passion to the role.

This strategic move is crucial for the growth of the GSC and the global solar PV industry, especially within the critical context of COP28 and efforts to achieve net zero. According to net zero scenarios published by organisations such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar power will need to play a leading role in delivering the energy transition required to keep the world on a 1.5C pathway. According to leading market analysts, over 6,2 TW of cumulative solar capacity could be installed globally by 2030 in a medium growth scenario. But with the right policy, regulations and investments, cumulative global solar installations could reach as high as 7.9 TW by 2030 in a high growth scenario.

The GSC is therefore ramping up its advocacy and market shaping activities to unlock the decarbonization and economic potential of solar power in countries across the world. Appointing Dunlop as the new full-time CEO is an important step by the association to strengthen its leadership and organisation. The GSC’s outgoing ad interim CEO Gianni Chianetta will stay on as a Senior Advisor to ensure a smooth transition for the association.

Sonia Dunlop, the incoming CEO for GSC said: "I am delighted to be joining the Global Solar Council as its CEO. We are in a pivotal moment for the global solar industry, and I am eager to help drive its growth, champion the technology, and unite the industry. The work we do at the GSC is essential, especially so given how critical COP28 Dubai will be for the energy transition. We need the global solar sector to speak with one voice and ensure that countries commit to ambition and action to urgently scale-up solar deployment, on roofs and beyond, in every corner of the world.”

Máté Heisz, Chair of the Global Solar Council, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Sonia as our new CEO. Her extensive experience in the solar industry and renewable policy, combined with her strong background in climate advocacy and finance, makes her the ideal candidate to lead our evolving organization. Sonia's appointment will undoubtedly help us grow the association and achieve our goals of supporting the global solar industry and advancing the transition to net zero."

Dunlop has previously held prominent positions at SolarPower Europe and Solar Energy UK, where she led successful campaigns and initiatives, including the Solar Independence Campaign, the build out of the RE-Source Platform, an alliance of multinational corporations and renewable suppliers to encourage corporate sourcing of renewable power and the Digitalisation & Solar initiative. In these roles, she also contributed significantly to organizational and membership growth. She also spent five years in the European Parliament in Brussels working on renewables and energy infrastructure policy.

Over the last five years, she has been part of the management team of climate change politics think tank Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G), where she led on public banks, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and international financial architecture reform. Dunlop was also seconded to the COP26 Glasgow organising team, helping secure additional climate finance for renewables, adaptation and more from the World Bank and the group of 10 MDBs.

Sonia is fluent in English, French and Italian as well as speaking basic Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. Based in London with her two children, she boasts four passports, a testament to her global perspective and the international scope of her work.

About the Global Solar Council

The Global Solar Council (https://www.globalsolarcouncil.org) is the voice of the world’s solar energy industry, a non-profit body based in Washington D.C. representing national, regional and international associations as well as leading solar sector corporations. Founded at the 2015 Paris climate conference as a private-sector response to the climate emergency, the Global Solar Council brings together associations from both established and emerging markets that represent companies all along the solar supply chain.

Contact
Alyssa Pek

Communication Manager GSC

[email protected]