Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged that India would exceed its Paris Agreement targets while addressing the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 Monday, and raised the importance of “global climate partnerships” like the International Solar Alliance.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched by Modi and former French president Francois Hollande in November 2015 at the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris.
The alliance was formed with the aim to promote solar energy in 121 member countries and to mobilise over $1 trillion of investment for the deployment of solar energy at affordable costs. It is the first inter-government organisation headquartered in India, in Gurugram.
In the wake of Covid-19, ISA has been working towards providing 24×7 electricity to some member countries to power cold storages that will store vaccine.
ThePrint explains how the ISA was formed and how it functions.
What is the International Solar Alliance?
The ISA is a coalition of solar resource-rich countries that lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Eighty-nine countries have signed the ISA’s Framework Agreement and of these 72 have deposited their instruments of ratification. Two weeks ago, India said membership to the alliance will be open to all member states of the United Nations.
The ISA primarily consists of an Assembly, Secretariat and different committees. The Assembly of the alliance is the apex decision-making body and the Secretariat is responsible for its operations and functioning. The body is funded by voluntary contributions by its members, partner countries, the UN and the private sector, while revenue is generated from specific activities approved by the Assembly.
