India will retain the Presidency of the 120-country International Solar Alliance (ISA) for another two-year term. The seventh session of the ISA Assembly, currently in progress in New Delhi took a unanimous decision to choose India to lead ISA for the 2024 -26 period.
Prahlad Joshi, Union minister of New and Renewable Energy termed India’s continued Presidency as a testament to the growing global stature of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
France retained its co-presidency following an election that featured a contest between the Republic of France and Grenada for the position.
“India and France, along with member countries, will aim to raise their ambitions and promise to make this decade count as we usher in a fresh wave of energy, determined to bring the power of solar to improve counties around the world in a way the world has never witnessed before,” Joshi said.
The Seventh Session of the ISA Assembly is currently deliberating on the ISA’s key initiatives, focusing on three critical issues: energy access, energy security, and energy transition. These discussions aim to address and find solutions to these pressing global concerns.
“As a coalition of 120 Member and Signatory countries, ISA has been at the forefront of mobilising resources and facilitating the deployment of solar projects worldwide, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). I’m proud to state that ISA has successfully completed 21 out of 27 demonstration projects, showcasing our collective ability to make significant strides in solar energy deployment and support sustainable development across the globe. These successful projects are a testament to our shared commitment and dedication”, Joshi said at the inaugural function of the ISA Assembly.
ISA works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future. ISA’s mission is to unlock $1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its financing. It promotes the use of solar energy in the agriculture, health, transport, and power generation sectors.
With the signing and ratification of the ISA Framework Agreement by 15 countries on 6 December 2017, ISA became the first international intergovernmental organisation to be headquartered in India.
ISA is partnering with multilateral development banks (MDBs), development financial institutions (DFIs), private and public sector organisations, civil society, and other international institutions to deploy cost-effective and transformational solutions through solar energy, especially in the LDCs and the Small Island Developing States SIDS.
