US Joins India-led International Solar Alliance as Member Country
In a big boost to accelerate global adoption of solar energy, the US joined the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA). The United States on Wednesday became the 101st member country of the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry signed the ISA framework agreement to catalyze global energy transition through a solar-led approach.
Kerry described the US membership as a major step towards the rapid deployment of solar power, as he formally signed the framework agreement at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
Giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s initiative, Kerry said, “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. We worked out the details and this is a process we are pleased to be a part of.”
Kerry had, during the Fourth General Assembly of ISA in October 2021 in Delhi, said that ISA is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and has an opportunity to accelerate solar power’s growth with member countries blessed with the world’s strongest sunlight.
Union Minister for Environment Bhupender Yadav welcomed the US as the 101st member of the ISA, saying this move will strengthen the solar alliance and propel future action on providing a clean source of energy to the world.
The minister 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 now 101.”
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 now 101. pic.twitter.com/p7D7ge6nl8
— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) November 10, 2021
The India-led ISA is all set to catalyse global energy transition through a solar-led approach. The framework of the agreement emphasizes delivering global relevance and local benefit to all countries through collaborations, with ISA’s key interventions focusing on readiness and enabling activities, risk mitigation & innovative financing instruments to facilitate the promotion and deployment of solar technologies in target markets.
ISA Director General, Ajay Mathur, said: “The US’ endorsement of ISA’s framework and approach is an heartening development, especially as our 101st member nation, which is a significant milestone in itself, demonstrating that nations across the world are recognizing the economic and climate mitigating value of solar, as well as this energy source’s potential as a catalyst for the global energy transition.”
Prime Minister Modi and former French President Francois Hollande had put forth the idea of the International Solar Alliance at the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris. This is an alliance of 124 countries, most of them being the sunshine country lying completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
The approach and methods detailed in the framework have already delivered results, with ISA building a solar project pipeline of nearly 5 GW installed capacity. The approach detailed in this framework will culminate in a vision for interconnected global grids, which was formalized and jointly launched as the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid‘ (GGI-OSOWOG), during the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 in Glasgow on November 2 by the India Presidency of International Solar Alliance (ISA) and UK Presidency of COP26.
Earlier at COP26, the US also joined the Steering Committee of the GGI-OSOWOG comprising five members – India, Australia, France, the UK, and the US – and endorsed the ‘One Sun Declaration’ along with 80 countries. US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm had said that “the Grid-Sun combination will save the planet. The GGI-OSOWOG is focusing on the two most important pieces of the puzzle. We at the US Department of Energy are happy to be a partner with GGI-OSOWOG”.
Israel and India went into signing the agreement earlier giving a big boost to its strategic partnership of 30 years.
[With Inputs from IANS]
PGurus is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with all the latest news and views
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
