New Delhi: The curtain raiser for the seventh session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly was hosted today in New Delhi, with representatives from 60 countries participating in the event. The assembly will take place from 3rd to 6th November 2024 and will be presided over by Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy. This session promises to be a truly global event, bringing together ministers, missions, and delegates from 120 member and signatory countries, alongside partner organisations and stakeholders to focus on initiatives aimed at improving energy access, security, and transition.
In his address, Pralhad Joshi stated, "ISA has evolved into a key platform for global solar cooperation, now encompassing 120 member and signatory countries. This growing commitment demonstrates solar energy's significant role in addressing our shared energy access challenges and the adverse effects of climate change. The progress made by ISA’s member countries in adopting solar energy is remarkable. Solar energy, available year-round and in abundance in some of our member countries, holds the potential to be the game-changer in the theatre of global climate action. Its attributes of being clean, reliable, free, and easily accessible to all make it central to achieving universal energy access. Our efforts through the ISA focus on expanding solar infrastructure, creating green jobs, supporting livelihoods, and mitigating climate impacts.”
Under the presidency of the Republic of India and the co-presidency of the Republic of France, the seventh session of the ISA Assembly will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Ministers, mission heads, and senior government officials from the 120 member and signatory countries, prospective countries, partner organisations, the private sector, and key stakeholders will participate.
Ajay Yadav, Joint Secretary, MNRE, Government of India, noted in his opening remarks that global solar deployment presents challenges, including investments, infrastructure, and indigenisation. He emphasized the need for targeted efforts to support the sector's expansion. He further highlighted ISA’s role and substantial contributions by stating, "To address these challenges through various programmes, initiatives, and collaborations with governments, private enterprises, and international organisations, ISA creates opportunities to diversify global supply chains and boost solar energy demand, contributing to manufacturing capacity growth.” He added, “We proudly count 120 among our member and signatory countries, with 102 ratifying the ISA Framework Agreement, showcasing our growing global influence. With the firm support of member countries, ISA has successfully launched initiatives to accelerate solar adoption, foster innovation, and enhance capacity-building efforts.”
Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General of the International Solar Alliance, remarked, "The International Solar Alliance stands at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 7 and 13 on affordable and clean energy and climate action, respectively. The International Solar Alliance is a force for change. It harmonises and aggregates demand for solar finance, technologies, innovation, research and development, and capacity building. This initiative is more than just a coalition; it is a revolutionary movement reshaping our energy landscape and our planet's future. As we approach the mark to last five years to realise the goals defined by the 2030 Agenda, this session of the ISA Assembly is an important nudge to accelerate our actions and raise our ambitions. All stakeholders must make this decade count in favour of climate action. Our work at the ISA directly supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement and contributes to the broader UN framework for sustainable development. ISA is working with member countries to help shape conducive policies to bring in investments in solar energy, create a sustainable pipeline of solar-powered projects, and build skills to sustain solar projects in the long term.”
At this assembly, discussions will centre on the means and modes adopted to accelerate solar deployment across member countries, particularly in regions with limited energy access. Additionally, updates will be provided on ISA’s flagship initiatives for entrepreneurs, skill enhancement and capacity building, mobilising finance, and advocating for solar as an energy choice.
The SolarX Startup Challenge, launched by ISA in collaboration with Invest India in 2022 at COP27 in Egypt, aims to foster entrepreneurship by supporting scalable and replicable solar energy business models in ISA's member countries. The STAR-C initiative, launched in 2022 by ISA, UNIDO, and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France, aims to build capacity and align skills with national training needs. It enhances quality infrastructure and standards for photovoltaic and solar thermal products to drive economic growth and job creation. The Global Solar Facility, launched in 2022, enhances solar investments in underserved regions, particularly Africa, using tools like the Solar Payment Guarantee Fund and Solar Insurance Fund. The First International Solar Festival, launched in September 2024, brought together corporates, academia, youth, community leaders, and other stakeholders to exchange ideas, promoting creativity and international cooperation for a future driven by solar energy.
The assembly's seventh session will be followed by a day-long series of sessions styled as a ‘High-Level Conference on New Technologies for Clean Energy Transition’ on 5 November 2024, hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Government of India, the Asian Development Bank, and the International Solar Energy Society. The third edition of this conference will be attended by the ministerial delegations of the ISA member countries, policymakers, subject matter experts, and industry leaders. Through its deliberations, the conference aims to inspire real-world change and make significant strides toward achieving global climate goals by fostering collaboration, sparking innovation, and sharing knowledge, with a focus on promoting solar energy to cut carbon emissions, expand energy access, and boost economic growth. The conference will also witness the release of the third edition of ISA’s World Solar Reports on Technology, Finance, and Markets.
The assembly proceedings will conclude on 6 November 2024 with a visit to a farm site on the outskirts of New Delhi, showcasing the practical implementation of agrivoltaic systems. The site in Najafgarh is maintained by the India Agrivoltaics Alliance, an initiative of the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), along with like-minded organisations dedicated to advancing the concept of agrivoltaics in India, which involves the simultaneous use of land for both agriculture and solar energy generation.
BI Bureau
