Indian Cabinet Moves Resolution To Open ISA membership to UN countries

The Union Cabinet on 1 November, gave ex-post facto approval for India moving a resolution for opening up of International Solar Alliance (ISA) membership to all UN countries, an official statement said.

“The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval for moving a resolution in the first assembly of the ISA for amending the Framework Agreement of the ISA for opening up the ISA membership to all countries that are members of the United Nations,” the statement said. In simple english, the cabinet approval is a stamp of approval for the resolution that was moved at the ISA assembly in Delhi last month.

ISA is an alliance of more than 121 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy so as to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It had 70 nations but with the latest addition of Japan on 29^th Oct this year it now stands at 71. The initial mandate was to be open for membership from countries lying between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn, the ‘solar rich’ belt on Earth. Most of these are from Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe.Hence the moniker Sunshine countries.

India and France co-hosted the first International Solar Alliance summit here in March and at the second plenary held during Re Invest sessions, have highlighted the need to share and mentor countries to utilise their solar potential.

The ISA has tried to establish a shared ambition to undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology, mobilize more than US $ 1000 billion of investments needed by 2030 for massive deployment of about 1000 GW of solar energy. This trillion dollar target increasingly looks feasible only with the involvement of countries like China, Japan and the US even,

“It will make ISA inclusive, whereby all member countries that are members of the United Nations could become members. Expanding membership will lead to ISA initiative benefiting the world at large,” it added.

With the push from IPCC, WHO and various other institutions to quickly turn to renewable energy, ISA opening its membership bodes well. The alliance has a chance to lead the global movement to solar, and ensure countries getaccess to the best technology and prices, considering the remarkably high degree of concentration, when it comes to manufacturers and other key vendors. China leading the list .