The United States on Wednesday became the 101st member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an inter-governmental organisation formed by India and France to accelerate the global adoption of solar power. “Accelerating solar energy deployment globally is critical to keeping a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming within reach. The U.S. is pleased to join the @isolaralliance at #COP26. Thank you, Prime Minister @narendramodi and @byadavbjp for championing this important endeavour,” US special envoy for climate, John Kerry, tweeted. Lauding the US’ move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this will “further strengthen the Alliance in our shared quest of harnessing solar energy for a sustainable planet”.
As India looks to harness the solar power and take it to the global stage, News18 breaks down what the International Solar Alliance means and its purpose.
What is the International Solar Alliance?
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched 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 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.
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.
The ISA has an Assembly, Secretariat and different committees. While the Assembly is the apex decision-making body, the Secretariat takes care of 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.
The founding conference of the alliance was co-hosted by Modi and present French President Emmanuel Macron on 11 March 2018 in New Delhi. Apart from the French President, 21 heads of states, 6 vice presidents and deputy prime ministers and 19 ministers as heads of delegations attended the conference.
History
The framework was first circulated for the support of countries in 2016. It emphasises delivering global relevance and local benefit to all countries through collaborations, with the ISA’s key interventions focusing on readiness and enabling activities, risk mitigation and innovative financing instruments to facilitate the promotion and deployment of solar technologies in target markets.
The approach and methods detailed in the framework have already delivered results, with ISA building a solar project pipeline of nearly 5-gigawatt installed capacity. The approach detailed in this framework will culminate in a vision for interconnected global grids, which was formalised and jointly launched as the ‘Green Grids Initiative: One Sun One World One Grid’ during the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 in Glasgow on November 2.
what has been the US track record in fighting climate change?
US President Joe Biden signed executive orders on Wednesday to transform the country’s fossil-fuel powered economy into a clean-energy one, a week after pledging to rejoin the Paris accord.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also said there is “strong potential” for New Delhi and Washington to work together in the area of climate change.
In November 2014, the Obama administration had pledged $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, an international fund aimed at helping developing countries like India tackle global warming. It delivered $1 billion before Trump pulled out of the Paris accord.
India & climate change
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 report rated India’s performance ‘high’ in the GHG emissions, energy use and climate policy categories, and medium in renewable energy.
India “is already on track to meet its 2030 emissions target (which is compatible with a well-below-2°C scenario), close to achieving its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of a 40% share for non-fossil fuel installed power capacity by 2030, and on course for a targeted 33–35% reduction in energy intensity by the same year” said the report.
“India should set Net Zero target for 2050 and leverage its domestic success on renewables and emissions intensity into international initiatives. More could be done to strengthen policies on climate vulnerability, adaptation, and resilience building. Equity and social development should also feature more strongly in the energy transition,” the report read.
Addressing the world leaders at the High-Level Segment for Heads of States and Government’ at the UN COP26, PM Modi announced a bold pledge that India will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and asserted that it is the only country that is delivering in “letter and spirit” the commitments on tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement.
Modi also said that India is putting climate change at centre of its policies and stressed on the need to include climate adaptation policies in school syllabus to make the next generation aware of the issues.
“Today the entire world acknowledges that India is the only big economy in the world that has delivered both in letter and spirit’ on its Paris commitments. We are making all possible efforts in a resolute manner. We are working hard and we will show results, the Prime Minister said in a much-anticipated address.
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