On October 18-21, 2021, the 4th General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) held virtually which was inaugurated and presided over by Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh, Ministry of Power and the President of the ISA Assembly.
Participation:
A total of 108 countries participated in the Assembly, including 74 Member Countries and 34 Observer & Prospective Countries, 23 Partner Organizations and 33 Special Invitee Organizations.
- The United States (US) Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry; and the European Commission Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans also addressed the gathering.
ISA and Bloomberg Philanthropies sign pact to mobilize $1 trillion solar funding
ISA announced a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies to mobilize $1 trillion in global investments for solar energy across ISA’s member countries. Both entities will work with World Resources Institute (WRI) to develop a Solar Investment Action Agenda; and a Solar Investment Roadmap, which will be launched at COP26.
- To support this partnership, (BloombergNEF (BNEF)) released the Scaling Up Solar in ISA Member Countries report, which will serve as the analytical backing for both the Action Agenda and Solar Investment Roadmap.
 Points to be noted:
i.ISA targets US$1 trillion of investment in solar by 2030 globally.
ii.ISA can enable energy access for 800 million people worldwide.
iii.Developed countries to direct the energy transitions funds for investments they had committed at previous climate conferences.
Launch of two New Programs:
During the assembly, two new programs of ISA were launched viz. Management of Solar PV panels & battery usage waste; and Solar Hydrogen programme.
- The waste management programme will look after the growing volume of waste & toxic materials, lack of waste specific legislation, and high cost of waste treatment.
- The solar hydrogen program aims to produce hydrogen at $2 per kg as compared to the present price of $5 per kg.
GGI-OSOWOG to be launched at COP26 at Glasgow, Scotland
ISA approved the ‘One Sun’ political declaration for the launch of Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG) at COP26 (Conference of the Parties) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31-November 12, 2021.
- ISA is the nodal agency for implementing India led OSOWOG that seeks to transfer solar power generated in one region to global electricity demands.
- GGI is a consortium led by French state-run power utility firm Électricité de France SA (EDF) and comprising France’s AETS, and India’s The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). They have been tasked with creating the road map for the global grid OSOWOG.
Under the above initiative there will be rapid development of continental, regional and national grid infrastructure programs. This will help decarbonize energy production, which is today the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions.
ISA to give up to USD 50,000 aid to 11 members for demonstrative solar projects
ISA will provide USD 50,000 to 11 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SID) member countries to undertake Demonstration Solar projects.
- In this regard, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 11 ISA member countries viz. Comoros, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Malawi, Senegal, Togo, Tonga, and Niger have been formally approved.
Additional Info:
India introduces draft resolution in UNGA for granting Observer Status for International Solar Alliance
India introduced a draft resolution in UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) through India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti for granting Observer Status to ISA.
- The Observer Status will help in providing a regular and well-defined cooperation between the Alliance and the UN that would benefit global energy growth and development.
Recent Related News:
i.State environment, tourism and protocol minister of Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackeray launched the first ever Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Mumbai, Maharashtra. Mumbai has become the first South Asian city to launch CAP. The CAP will ensure better planning and growth for climate resilient infrastructure and mitigation efforts.
ii.Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh & Danish Minister for Climate, Energy, and Utilities Dan Jorgensen jointly launched ‘Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind’ as part of the Green Strategic Partnership during their meeting in New Delhi.
About International Solar Alliance (ISA):
ISA co-founded by India and France during the 2015 climate change conference in Paris, France
Director General– Dr. Ajay Mathur
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana
