About ISA

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change through deployment of solar energy solutions. 
• It was conceptualized on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris in 2015.
• The Paris Declaration that established the ISA states that the alliance is an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies as a means for bringing energy access, ensuring energy security, and driving energy transition in its member countries.
• ISA was conceived as a coalition of solar-resource-rich countries (which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address their special energy needs. 
• The first general assembly of the ISA, held in 2018, adopted the amendment to its framework agreement to expand the scope of membership to all member states of the United Nations.
• The ISA is guided by its ‘Towards 1000’ strategy which aims to mobilise USD 1,000 billion of investments in solar energy solutions by 2030, while delivering energy access to 1,000 million people using clean energy solutions and resulting in installation of 1,000 GW of solar energy capacity. This would help mitigate global solar emissions to the tune of 1,000 million tonnes of CO2 every year.
• As guided by the Framework Agreement of the ISA, the interests and objectives of the ISA are as follows:
  • To collectively address key common challenges to scale up solar energy applications in line with their needs;
  • To take coordinated action through programmes and activities launched on a voluntary basis, aimed at better harmonization, aggregation of demand, risk and resources, for promoting solar finance, solar technologies, innovation, R&D, capacity building etc.;
  • Reduce the cost of finance to increase investments in solar energy in member countries by promoting innovative financial mechanisms and mobilizing finance from Institutions;
  • Facilitate collaborative research and development (R&D) activities in solar energy technologies among member countries.

• The ISA is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana.
• At present, more than 100 countries are signatories to the ISA Framework Agreement.

Why in News?

• India is hosting the Sixth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/china-welcome-to-be-part-of-international-solar-alliance-union-minister-for-renewable-energy/article67481187.ece#