New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) India today brushed aside the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the International Solar Alliance, saying New Delhi will continue to advance the ISA’s goals of promoting solar energy deployment and cooperation among its 125 member countries.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, answering questions at the weekly media briefing, asked to comment on the Trump administration’s announcement of withdrawal from the ISA along with over 60 international organisations, said:
“We have seen the announcement made by the United States to withdraw from various international organizations and bodies of the United Nations.
“Since its inception, the International Solar Alliance has made significant progress in advancing its mandate to promote solar energy deployment and cooperation among its 125 member countries. We will continue to advance its goals.”
“India stands for multilateralism and believes that global issues need consultative and collaborative action by all countries,” the spokesperson said.
On January 7, US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum titled “Withdrawing the United States from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that are Contrary to the Interests of the United States”, announcing the US’ withdrawal from 66 international organizations — 31 UN-affiliated and 35 non-UN groups.
The White House characterized these organisations as promoting “radical climate policies” and “ideological programs” that conflict with US sovereignty.
Besides the ISA, other major climate-related bodies on the US list include the UNFCCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization launched in 2015 by India and France at the COP21 summit in Paris.
Headquartered in Gurugram, the ISA is focused on the objective of scaling up solar energy to achieve universal energy access for the 125 member and signatory countries.
The ISA aims to unlock US$1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 through its ‘Towards 1000’ strategy, focusing on reducing both technology and financing costs.
This ambitious plan aims to provide energy access to one billion people and install 1,000 GW of solar energy capacity. Achieving these targets would significantly mitigate global carbon emissions, reducing 1,000 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
