News: India has called upon more countries to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Facts:
About International Solar Alliance (ISA)
- It was jointly launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France in 2015 at UNFCCC CoP 21 Paris, France. It is headquartered at the National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
- ISA is a partnership of solar resource-rich countries. It seeks to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on the development of solar energy resources. It is registered as an intergovernmental body under Article 102 of the UN Charter.
- Members: The ISA is open to all countries located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. So far, 84 countries have signed the ISA agreement.
- Aim: To create a collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies. This would enhance energy security & sustainable development and ensure equitable access to energy.
- The ISA is in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 7. SDG 7 calls to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Objectives:
- Promote solar technologies and investment in the solar sector
- Formulate projects and programmes to promote solar applications
- Develop innovative Financial Mechanisms to reduce the cost of capital for solar infrastructure
- Build a common Knowledge e-Portal for sharing of policy development experiences and best practices in member countries
- Facilitate capacity building for promotion and absorption of solar technologies and R&D among member countries
Target:
- The ISA has set a target of 1 TW of solar energy by 2030, which would require $1 trillion to achieve.
- India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which includes 100 GW of solar energy.
