World’s smallest nation Nauru ratifies Solar Alliance Pact

The world’s smallest nation, Nauru has ratified the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Pact.  Aaron Cook, Nauru’s Commerce, Industry and Environment Minister handed over the ratification document to Union Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley on May 22, 2017.

• The highest point on Nauru’s terrain is only 65 metres above sea level. Thus it is extremely vulnerable to rising sea level due to climate change.
• Currently, 30% of the Nauru’s energy needs are met through solar power installations. Its Government has set a target to attain 50% of energy production from renewable sources by 2020.
• Comoros, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Somalia and Djibouti are the five African countries which have committed to sign the Solar Alliance pact during the ongoing meeting of the African Development bank in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

About International Solar Alliance (ISA):

• The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of countries which are located completely or partly between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
• It was jointly launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and the then President of France Francois Hollande in November 2015 in Paris, on the side lines of COP21.
• Under the ISA, solar rich countries will collaborate to fulfil their objectives and needs pertaining to solar energy by emulating successful practices and setting up common mechanisms and instruments for harnessing solar energy on a huge scale.
• The alliance will become a legal entity as soon as least 15 countries ratify and deposit the framework agreement.
• In January 2016, PM Narendra Modi, and the then 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 Gurugram, Haryana, India.

Quick Facts about Nauru:

• Nauru is a tiny island country located towards North East of Australia.
• It has a surface area of only 21 square km and has a population of about 10200.
• Yaren is the capital of Nauru and Australian Dollar is the official currency.
• Baron Waqa is the current President of Nauru.