International Solar Alliance (ISA): Objectives, Headquarter, ISA UPSC

What is the International Solar Alliance?

The International Solar Alliance is the initiative proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of France at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris. The countries that are members of the International Solar Alliance are able to develop the low carbon growth path offered by solar power, with particular emphasis on least developed countries.

International Solar Alliance UPSC Notes

Established in 2015, the ISA represents a landmark collaboration between countries committed to harnessing the vast potential of solar energy. By fostering partnerships, promoting innovation, and driving policy reforms, the International Solar Alliance aims to accelerate the adoption of solar power on a global scale.

Read: Largest Solar Plant in India

ISA (International Solar Alliance) Highlights

ISA Full Form in India	International Solar Alliance
ISA Members	101 members in International Solar Alliance after the USA joined in 2021.
International Solar Alliance Chairman	Ajay Mathur who is the Director-General of ISA Secretariat
ISA Headquarters	Gurugram, India is the headquarters of International Solar Alliance

International Solar Alliance (ISA) – Latest News

Formed with the objective of harnessing the abundant potential of solar energy, this global alliance has emerged as a transformative force in the pursuit of a greener future. The latest news surrounding the International Solar Alliance are:

Ease of Doing Solar Report 2020

A report entitled Doing Solar Report 2020 was released by the International Solar Alliance on 24th February 2021. Furthermore, ISA launched the World Solar Bank at UNFCCC COP 26 in 2021. Also, International Solar Alliance has re-elected India and France as its President and Secretary-General respectively for the term of 2 years at a virtual assembly of the International Solar Alliance.

• With the collision of a sustainable climate action the Assembly had authorised the institutionalization of International Solar Alliance engagement with public and private corporations.
• Many solar awards were conferred at the summit such as the Visvesvaraya Award honoring countries with maximum floating solar capacity, the Kalpana Chawla Award which Honours the scientist and engineer’s in the field of solar energy also Diwakar Award honouring the organisation and institutions who have worked in the field of helping differently-abled people alongside maximizing the solar energy in the host country.
• The International Solar Alliance keeping the global pandemic in mind has set up ISA CARES as a response to it which is an initiative focusing on providing solar energy solutions to the health care sector. It is an initiative that aims to solarize the Primary Health sector in the districts of every member country.

World Solar Bank

• In November 2021, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow held a conference called the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The World Solar Bank was launched by the International Solar Alliance.
• This development of the World Solar Bank was quite supportive to India in terms of securing leadership in the climate control field.
• The green finals were the priority theme at climate Summit COP 26 that took place in Paris in the month of December.
• The World Solar Bank was started as most of the member countries were facing the challenges of raising the funds on their own. Hence, the program helped people who didn’t have access to electricity.
• This World Solar Bank was launched with the intent to transfer the solar power generated in an electricity region to meet the requirements of other regions.

Importance of International Solar Alliance

The constitution of the International Solar Alliance is of great importance because it ensures to make use of the energy produced by the sun.

• The energy produced by the sun in a day is sufficient to provide power to the entire planet but because of a lack of resources and awareness, we are unable to harness it.
• In fact, the countries which lie at the equator or nearby it are even unable to utilize this energy and are still underdeveloped.
• The International Solar Alliance makes sure that everyone on the planet has access to inexpensive and contemporary energy resources.
• Apart from all these things International Solar Alliance also aims to make Clean Energy Research and Technology 2030 and make it accessible to people.
• Ultimately the International Solar Alliance focuses more on the solar energy ecosystem and its promotions in countries.

Objectives of the International Solar Alliance

The main focus of launching this International Solar Alliance project is to focus on solar energy and make the most use of it.

• Becoming a member of the International Solar Alliance also sends a message globally that even developing countries are willing and moving a step ahead to address environmental pollution and transform it into a low-carbon growth path.
• By 2022, India has set plans to install 175 GW of renewable energy, 100 GW of which will be derived from solar energy.
• In order to create a clean and healthy planet, the International Solar Alliance has also pledged to reduce emissions by 35% by 2030.

Initiatives of the International Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance, in collaboration with the World Bank, presented the Global Solar Atlas at the future energy summit in Abu Dhabi. The Global Solar Atlas provides users with the annual average solar power for each place, so that they can find solar power generating spots near them. Solar power has experienced a huge drop in costs over the last few years, as said by Ricardo Pulit, the senior director and head of the World Bank Energy and Extractives Global Practice.

• Summits and Conferences
• Rio Earth Summit

India’s participation in International Solar Alliance

Being the founding member of the International Solar Alliance, India’s role is significantly remarkable as it will be one of the most important markets for investors and developers.

• Under the guidance of the prime minister, the government has set an aim to get operational solar power of 100 GW by 2022.
• Also, a new secretarial help of over 220 crores has been announced by the government for the next 5 years.
• The government of India has offered training to International Solar Alliance member countries at NISE and funds for project-light solar pumps for farmers and other applications.

Advantages for India of International Solar Alliance

Being a member of the International Solar Alliance in itself is a great advantage to India since India is a developing country. Hence, this alliance will be advantageous to India in the following ways:

• India can surely turn out to be a global leader in the field of developing solar energy.
• India is growing on the international front as a strong competitor in terms of providing global employment.
• India still lacks the infrastructure suitable to install solar energy plants for the entire nation. Hence, being an ISA member increases the chances of allotment of international funds to accomplish the goal of 100 GW of solar power.
• Asa member of the International Solar Alliance, India gets the benefit of implementing the best of its practices in solar energy resources and benefits the country’s people.

International Solar Alliance UPSC

The International Solar Alliance is part of the current affairs and the environment and ecology section of the UPSC syllabus. The International Solar Alliance topic is widely questioned in Mains under GS-2 paper hence it becomes important to learn about the ISA in detail for UPSC exam preparation. Questions related to the objectives, member countries, initiatives, and achievements of the ISA may be asked in the exam, making it crucial for aspirants to be well-informed about this international alliance and its impact on sustainable development efforts worldwide. For a comprehensive preparation candidates can refer to books, and environment and ecology UPSC notes.

International Solar Alliance UPSC Questions

Question: Which of the following countries initiated the formation of the International Solar Alliance? a) India & France b) United States c) China d) Germany

Answer: a) India & France

Question: When was the International Solar Alliance officially launched? a) 2015 b) 2016 c) 2017 d) 2018

Answer: c) 2017

Question: What is the primary objective of the International Solar Alliance? a) Promote solar energy research b) Facilitate cooperation among solar-rich countries c) Develop solar energy infrastructure in developing nations d) Enhance solar panel manufacturing capabilities

Answer: b) Facilitate cooperation among solar-rich countries

Question: Where is the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance located? a) Paris, France b) New Delhi, India c) Geneva, Switzerland d) Washington D.C., United States

Answer: a) Paris, France

UPSC Notes
Asian Development Bank	Electrol Bond
Indian State of Forest Report	Montreal Protocol
5G Technology	Gaganyaan Mission
Uniform Civil Code	Tribunals
Tiger Reserves in India	Sagarmala Project
World Bank	Svamitva Scheme