The 5th Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) commenced today at the Ashok Hotel, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The assembly body will be meeting in person after two years.
The event will continue till 20th October 2022 and is being attended by ministers, missions, and delegates from 109 countries.
As India holds the office of the president at the ISA, Union minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, R.K Singh is presiding over the event. Ms. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, the minister of development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, of the Republic of France, is the co-president of the assembly.
Together, these two leaders oversee more than 75 GW of solar installations in two countries- India and France.
The assembly also welcomed Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, a special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy For All.
The assembly is the apex decision-making body of the International Solar Alliance, where each member country is represented. It meets annually at the ministerial level. As per the MNRE, the assembly “assesses the aggregate effect of the programmes and other activities in terms of deployment of solar energy, performance, reliability, cost, and scale of finance.”
The 5th assembly will be deliberating on three key issues: energy access, energy security, and energy transition.
The International Solar Alliance was launched in November 2015 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former president of France, François Hollande. The alliance is an “action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform” that promotes the deployment of solar energy technologies across the world.
The crucial initiative of ISA is to develop a One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG). The mission of OSOWOG is to establish a global network of renewable energy resources (chiefly solar energy), through which, energy can be shared across borders.
“At ISA we are passionate about making a sizable impact on the adverse effects caused by climate change while ensuring that the development efforts are not hampered. The groundwork with multilateral support and multi-stakeholder partnerships has been laid out and with the fifth Assembly, we hope to accelerate actions on global solarisation, scaling and expanding the impact of our interventions across nations, and growing and actualising its existing pipeline for solar projects. To enable this, the International Solar Alliance aspires to become the go-to platform that brings together resources from around the world to surgically target the challenges faced by our Member Countries in the deployment of solar energy solutions,” said Ajay Mathur, ISA Director General.
In his opening address on the Day 1 of the 5th assembly, Union Minister R.K Singh explained that ISA not only helps countries become self-sufficient but also aids them in establishing the right energy systems and structures which can draw investment and expand energy availability.
He also stated that ISA has come a long way since its formation, and is growing at a rapid pace. The organization has already made great strides in providing programme support, helping countries put in the energy structures, and offering consultation and expertise wherever needed.
“ISA is an essential vehicle to fulfil the international pledges of the energy transition” he adds.
With a cumulative installed solar capacity of over 57 GW, India is making great strides in the solar power sector. With the alliance, the country is undoubtedly taking the lead in advancing the cause of sustainability and building the solar power capacity of the world.
Additionally, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has also stated that it has plans to leverage the ISA to get airport contracts in member countries. AAI will be showcasing Kerala’s Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), the first fully solar-powered airport in the world, to achieve this objective.
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Resource: The Print
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