First Assembly of ‘International Solar Alliance’

The Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the first Assembly of the International Solar Alliance at Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi. The same event also marked the inauguration of the second IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting, and the 2nd Global RE-Invest (Renewable Energy Investors’ Meet and Expo). The Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, was present on the occasion.

India is working towards the goals of the Paris Agreement through an action plan. The target is to generate 40% of India’s total energy requirements in 2030, by non fossil fuel based sources.

As per Article IV of the ISA Framework Agreement, the Assembly will meet annually at the Ministerial level at the seat of the ISA and will be attended by the ISA Member Countries. The ISA Prospective Countries, Partner Countries, dignitaries from the United Nations, Presidents of Multilateral Development Banks, global funds, international financial institutions, leaders from energy-related institutions, corporate sector, and civil society are expected to attend the Assembly as Observers.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is conceived as a coalition of solar resource rich countries to address their special energy needs and to provide a platform for collaboration to address the identified gaps through a common and agreed approach.

ISA will not duplicate or replicate the efforts that others (like International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership(REEEP), International Energy Agency (IEA), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), United Nations bodies, bilateral organizations etc.) are currently engaged in, but will establish networks and develop synergies with them and supplement their efforts in a sustainable and focused manner.

The ISA was launched at 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC CoP21) on 30 November 2015 by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and then-French President, HE Francois Hollande.

The Paris Declaration establishing the ISA states that the countries share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts for reducing the cost of finance and cost of technology for immediate deployment of solar generation assets. This will help pave the way for future solar generation, storage and good technologies for each prospective member countries’ individual needs by mobilising over USD1000 billion in solar investments by 2030.

Achieving these objectives of the ISA will also help countries achieve climate targets inscribed in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The First Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA); the 2nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo, (REINVEST- 2018) was held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, UP.

The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has called for ‘Expression of Interest’ for the first offshore wind energy project of India, a 1000 MW offshore wind energy project in Gulf of Khambat, off the coast of Gujarat.MNRE plans to install at least 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2022.