JUNE-JULY 2018 JAN-FEB 2018 | Page 14

PROFILE I N T E R N AT I O N A L SOLAR ALLIANCE STEPPING INTO TOMORROW T he International Solar Alliance is a treaty based international inter-governmental alliance of 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn take solar energy to scale, and that initial public financing and initiatives to unlock private finance is important for solar energy to take hold in developing countries. It is the first treaty-based international intergovernmental organisation to be based in India. The aim is for countries to work together towards the deployment of appropriate benchmarks, facilitating resource assessments, supporting research and development and demonstration facilities, with a view to encourage innovative and affordable applications of solar technologies. Let us make the Sun Brighter A file photo of the launch of the International Solar Alliance secretariat in Gurugram. The idea of a solar alliance of countries that receive sunshine for around 300 days in a year was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi The initiative was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of 2015 by the President of France and the Prime Minister of India. French President Hollande acknowledged that developing countries need technology and capacity building to quickly 14 Global MDA Journal may 2018 Countries, bilateral and multilateral organisations, companies, industries, and stakeholders aim to reduce the cost of finance and cost of technology for the immediate deployment of competitive solar generation, storage and technologies adapted to countries’ individual needs and to mobilize billions of dollars for the purpose. The focus is on solar power utilization. India has pledged a target of installing 100GW by 2022 and reduction in emission intensity by 33–35% by 2030 to let solar energy reach to the most unconnected villages and communities and also towards creating a clean planet. India’s pledge to the Paris summit offered to bring 40% of its electricity generation capacity (not actual production) from