The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty based international inter-governmental alliance of 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Any country meeting the above criterion and also being a United Nations Member can become a Member of ISA. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched on 30th November, 2015 as a coalition of the solar resource rich countries by Mr.Narendra Modi, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and Mr.François Hollande, Hon'ble President of France in the presence of Mr. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations on the first day of the Conference of Parties (CoP) 21 to the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Paris. The Paris Declaration establishing ISA calls ISA an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries. Major objective of ISA is deployment of over 1000 GW of solar energy and mobilization of more than US $ 1000 billion of investment into the solar energy. ISA is headquartered at Gurugram, Haryana, in India. Mr. Upendra Tripathy heads the ISA Interim Secretariat in the capacity of the Interim Director General of ISA.
The Paris declaration establishing ISA states that all ISA member countries share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts with a view to reduce the cost of finance and technology for large scale deployment of competitive solar generation assets in member countries, adapted to each countries' individual needs.
It further states that united by the objective to significantly augment solar power generation, the member countries intend making joint efforts through innovative policies, projects, programmes, capacity building measures and financial instruments to mobilize more than $1000 billion of investments that are needed by 2030 for deployment of affordable solar energy. The member countries recognize that the reduced cost of finance would enable us them to undertake more ambitious solar energy programmes to bring development and prosperity for their citizens.
The member countries intend working together towards the development of appropriate benchmarks, facilitating resource assessments, supporting research and development and demonstration facilities, with a view to encouraging innovative and affordable applications of solar technologies.
ISA is an attempt to provide a platform for prospective member countries to collaborate and address the identified gaps through a common agreed approach and will contribute towards the goal of increasing utilization and promotion of solar energy and solar applications to help the world transition to a low-carbon and greener society.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Headquarters
The ISA is to be headquartered in India. In January 2016, Narendra Modi, and the French President François Hollande jointly laid the foundation stone of the ISA Headquarters and inaugurated the interim Secretariat of the ISA at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gwalpahari, Gurugram. The Indian government has dedicated five acres of land on the NISE campus for ISA's future headquarters; it also has contributed INR1.75 billion (US$27 million) to the fund to build the ISA campus and for meeting expenditures for the ISA's first five years.
The alliance is also called International Agency for Solar Policy and Application (IASPA).
Alliance Solar Video
Objective
The focus is on solar power utilization. The launching of such an alliance in Paris also sends a strong signal to the global communities about the sincerity of the developing nations towards their concern about climate change and to switch to a low-carbon growth path. India has pledged a target of installing 100GW by 2022 and reduction in emission intensity by 33-35% by 2030 to let solar energy reach to the most unconnected villages and communities and also towards creating a clean planet. India's pledge to the Paris summit offered to bring 40% of its electricity generation capacity (not actual production) from non-fossil sources (renewable, large hydro, and nuclear) by 2030. it is based on world co operation.
Geographical importance
The area of Earth located in between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn is called the tropical (torrid) zone. The points on the Tropic of Cancer are the northernmost points up to which the Sun can pass directly overhead. Similarly, the southernmost points are on the Tropic of Capricorn which follow the same criteria. Location at the north of the Tropic of Cancer shows the Sun appearing at the south of the zenith. The sunniest countries of the world are on the African continent, ranging from Somalia- Horn of Africa-, east to Niger, west and north to Egypt.
For India, the possible additional benefit from the alliance can be the strengthening ties and with the major African countries increase goodwill for India among them.
![The International Solar Alliance [6300x3095] : MapPorn](https://i0.wp.com/imgstore.ga/wp-contents/uploads/2013/9/.jpg "The International Solar Alliance [6300x3095] : MapPorn")
India's Role
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi established the International Solar Alliance through an initiative when he addressed the 2015 gathering in UK.
The headquarters will be set up in India with an initial investment of $30mn. In first phase, $400M will be raised from membership fees along with international agencies. India already has ambitious targets of achieving renewable energy that it will generate more than 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 and decrease emission intensity by 33 to 35 percent by 2030. India will endorse clean energy, sustainable environment, public transport, and climate adaptive agriculture through this initiative.
India has also launched a tool named IESS 2047 (India Energy Security Scenarios 2047 calculator) which aims to explore the potential of future energy scenarios for India.
Countries joined
The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization. The Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance opened for signatures in Marrakech, Morocco in November 2016, on the sidelines of the Marrakech Climate Change Conference (the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties, or COP 22). On its first day (15 November), sixteen countries signed the Agreement: India, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Guinea, Mali; Nauru; Niger; Tanzania; Tuvalu; Cambodia; Ethiopia; Burkina Faso; Bangladesh and Madagascar. By 17 November, Guinea Bissau, Fiji, France, Vanuatu and Liberia also signed the agreement.
Subsequently, an additional 107 countries joined the agreement, including all major countries that lie between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, including Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, India, Australia, New Zealand, and China. A conclave started from 30 November 2015 for the sunshine grouping, called the InSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application).
Future targets
India, with the support of France, has invited more solar rich nations to facilitate infrastructure for implementation of solar projects. The alliance has been committed $1 tn as investment, and it is committed to making the costs of solar power more affordable for remote and inaccessible communities. The alliance will endorse India in achieving its goal of generating 100GW of solar energy and 175GW of renewable energy by 2022. The countries shall support each other in research and development as well as other high level activities.
It is also seen as an alliance by the developing countries to form a united front and to undertake research and development for making solar power equipment within developing countries.
Progress
On June 30, 2016, the alliance entered into an understanding with the World Bank for accelerating mobilization of finance for solar energy. The Bank will have a major role in mobilizing more than US $1000 billion in investments that will be needed by 2030, to meet ISA's goals for the massive deployment of affordable solar energy.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
EmoticonEmoticon