About:
- International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a coalition of solar resource rich countries which aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.
- Timeline: On the side lines of COP21 UN Climate Change Conference at Paris, Prime Minister of India and President of France jointly launched the initiative of ISA. With its ratification by required no. of countries, ISA became a treaty-based international intergovernmental organization.
- Member Countries the ISA is open to 121 prospective member countries (a.k.a. sunshine countries), most of them located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn as this is the region worldwide with a surplus of bright sunlight for most of the year. As of March 2018, 60 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement.
- Secretariat: Interim Secretariat of ISA is located at Surya Bhawan, National Institute of Solar Energy (An autonomous Institute of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy) in Gurugram, Haryana. The ISA is the first international body that will have a secretariat in India.
Key Objectives:
According to Paris Declaration on ISA, which was unveiled on occasion of launch of ISA, its objectives are:
- Reducing the cost of finance & technology for immediate deployment of solar generation.
- Formulate financial instruments to mobilize more than US$1000 billion dollars in investments that will be required by 2030 for the massive deployment of affordable solar energy (Target of 1 TW has been setup).
- Be a collective voice in international fora to protect against monopolistic international groups and behaviours.
First assembly:
- The first Assembly, in a way, will lay the foundation for global Solar Agenda. The Assembly, as supreme decision-making body of the ISA, will adjudicate upon various administrative, financial and programme related issues.
- The countries that have ratified the ISA Treaty Framework will attend the Assembly, as Members. Countries that have signed but are yet to ratify the ISA Treaty Framework will attend the Assembly as Observers.
