US joins International Solar Alliance: What is the Indian-led initiative aimed to smoothen the transition to renewable energy?
The United States has become the 101st country to join the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, on Wednesday, signing the ISA framework agreement aimed at expediting the transition to clean energy through solar power initiatives.
Hailing the move as a significant step towards the global deployment of solar power, Kerry noted, “It has long been coming, and we are happy to join the International Solar Alliance, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead in making.”
Welcoming the addition of the US to the ISA, Union Minister for Environment Bhupender Yadav tweeted, “Happy that now USA is formally a part of International Solar Alliance, a visionary initiative launched by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji in 2015 at Paris COP. The number of countries who are now part of @isolaralliance is no 101.”
What is the ISA?
The ISA was conceived of by PM 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 Ministry of External Affairs says that it aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy. Membership to the ISA was initially exclusive to countries that lay between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, however, in January this year, expanded to include any and all member states of the United Nations.
The ISA will provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar-resource-rich countries, through which the global community, including government, bilateral and multilateral organisations, corporates, industry and other stakeholders, can contribute to help achieve the common goal of increasing the use and quality of solar energy in meeting energy needs of prospective ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner, says the ISA on its website.
What programmes is the ISA carrying out?
One of the primary aims stipulated in the ISA’s Framework Agreement is to mobilise over $1 trillion in solar energy-related financing by 2030. A roadmap to achieve this was provided by the World Resources Institute (WRI) last year, outlining the sources of funding, opportunities and constraints in ramping up solar investments and ISA contributions in member countries.
Additionally, the framework discusses developing key synergies between member countries, with a focus on interventions relating to enabling and readiness initiatives, risk mitigation and novel financing instruments to lubricate the deployment of solar technologies in target markets.
The methodology outlined in the ISA’s framework has already borne fruit with the coalition constructing a solar project pipeline of almost 5 GW installed capacity. The objective is to create interconnected global grids, and was formalised and launched as the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid’ (GGI-OSOWOG) at the World Leaders Summit of COP26 in Glasgow on 2nd November this year.
The ISA has aggregated a demand for over 270,000 solar pumps in 22 countries, over 1 GW of solar rooftop across 11 countries, and over 10 GW of solar mini-grids in 9 countries under various programmes.
Moreover, in response to the pandemic, the ISA established ISA CARES, another initiative focused on bolstering solar energy in the healthcare sector. The programme objective is to solarise one primary health sector in each district of target member countries.
Other programmes include a demand aggregation initiative for 47 million solar home systems and 250 million LED lamps in member countries (launched in August last year).
