Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (Part 1)

The International Solar Alliance

International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a coalition of solar-resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn to specifically address energy needs by harnessing solar energy. The Alliance aims to provide a platform for prospective member countries to collaborate and address the identified gaps through a common agreed approach. ISA has been envisioned as a dedicated platform that aims to contribute towards the common goal of increasing utilization and promote solar energy and solar applications in the prospective member countries to help the world transform to a low-carbon and greener society.

There is no specific body in place to address the specific solar technology deployment needs of the solar resource rich countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Most of these countries are geographically located for optimal absorption of the sun’s rays. There is a great amount of sunlight year-round which can lead to cost effective solar power and other end uses. Most of the countries have large agrarian populations. Many countries face gaps in the potential solar energy manufacturing eco-system. Absence of universal energy access, energy equity and affordability are issues common to most of the solar resource rich countries.

International Solar Alliance (ISA) will not duplicate or replicate the efforts that others (like International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership(REEEP), International Energy Agency (IEA), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), UN bodies, bilateral organizations, etc.) are currently engaged in, but will establish networks and develop synergies with them and supplement their efforts in a sustainable and focused manner.

ISA was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on 30^th November, 2015 by Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon. Prime Minister of India and Mr. François Hollande, former President of France, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Ban Ki Moon, the then UN Secretary General.

The seat of ISA shall be in India. On 25^th January, 2016, the Prime Minister of India and the then President of France jointly laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Headquarters and inaugurated the interim Secretariat of the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy campus, Gurugram, Haryana.

Features of ISA

·      ISA is being designed as a unique, lean, and action-oriented hands-on organization and will have member-driven plans and programs to achieve collective objectives.

·      ISA will create cross-country platforms and deliver programs through institutional partnerships and institutional networks.

·      ISA will make solar energy affordable for the poor by way of channelizing capital, reducing cost of capital through innovative financial mechanisms, aggregating demands, promoting universal energy access and spread of best practices, promoting networked R&D in solar applications, and helping in the creation of test centres and common standards to ensure proper quality of products used by member countries.

·      ISA will also ensure training of thousands of youth to create a workforce for looking after maintenance of solar works, facilitating investments to create employment in the member countries.

There are over 120 potential members of ISA. As of March 2018, 61 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement and 32 of them have ratified it.

The Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance was held on March 11, 2018. See the next blog post for the details.

(This blog relates to Chapters 8 and 9 of the book.)