United Nations Grants Observer Status To India-led International Solar Alliance

The United Nations (UN) granted observer status to the International Solar Alliance (ISA). According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, this recognition will give impetus to ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ and help bring equitable energy solutions to the world.

In a congratulatory tweet, Union Minister for Power RK Singh said that the historic decision of granting observer status to the International Solar Alliance by the United Nations would be a stepping stone in furtherance of the Prime Minister’s vision of One Sun One World One Grid.

Singh said that this would provide a significant boost to the initiative to bring about just and equitable energy solutions through the deployment of solar energy.

The union minister also said that this would immensely help achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions through global cooperation.

He reaffirmed that India is progressively contributing to this mission by having a significant share of renewable energy in the power mix.

The ISA, an initiative first proposed by PM Modi in a speech in November 2015 at Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom and later launched in Paris in 2015, is a coalition of solar resource-rich countries (which lie either wholly or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address their special energy needs.

In early November, the United States became the 101st member country of the India-led ISA. US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry signed the ISA framework agreement to catalyse global energy transition through a solar-led approach.