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InsightsintoEditorial:BuildingtheInternationalSolarAlliance
ByINSIGHTS

InsightsintoEditorial:BuildingtheInternationalSolarAlliance
19January2016
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IndialaunchedanInternationalSolarAlliance(ISA)attherecentlyconcludedCoP21ClimateConferencein
Paris.Thealliancebringstogetherdevelopedanddevelopingcountries,governmentsandindustries,
laboratoriesandinstitutionsinacommonenterprise.
Whilelaunchingthealliance,PMModiannouncedthattherevolutioninthefieldwouldbringpowerto
allcitizens,andcreateunlimitedeconomicopportunity.
AimsofISA:ThemainaimsofISAincludereducingfinancialriskacrossalargerglobalmarket,encouraging
cooperationontechnology,buildingcapacity,andincreasingenergyaccess.
Details:
Allthecountries,locatedfullyorpartlybetweenthetropicsofCancerandCapricorn,havebeeninvited
tojointheAlliance.
HQ:ThenewbodywillfunctionfromtheNationalInstituteofSolarEnergyinIndia,Gurgaon.
TheUnionGovernmentofIndiahasannouncedthatitwillprovidelandand$30milliontoforma
secretariatfortheAlliance,andalsosupportitforfiveyears.
AmongthetasksthattheAlliancewouldpursueare,cooperationintraining,buildinginstitutions,
regulatoryissues,commonstandards,andinvestmentincludingjointventures.
Toachieveitsfixedobjective,theAllianceneedsbetween$1,000and$1,200billionoverthenext15
years,ofwhich70%couldbeprovidedbytheprivatesector.Publicbodiesarepreparedtoputupthe
balance.BothFranceandtheNetherlandshavealsoagreedtocontribute,andotherrichcountriesare
settofollowsuit.
RoleofIndia:
Indiahasacapacityoffourgigawattsandhassetatargetofadding100GWofsolarpowerby2022.
Bytheendofnextyear,Indiaisalsoplanningtoaddanother12GW.
Indiahassettheambitioustargetofdeployingnonfossilfuelelectricitygeneratingsystemsthatsupply
40%ofthecountryscumulativeinstalledcapacityby2030.
ThisnewallianceisasignofIndiasleadershipontheglobalstage.UnderIndiasleadership,theISA
couldinspireandsupportseveraldevelopedanddevelopingcountriestoadvanceonacleanenergy
pathwaybyloweringfinancingcosts,developingcommonstandards,encouragingknowledgesharing
andfacilitatingR&DcollaborationsandcodevelopmentoftechnologiestomeettheSustainable
DevelopmentGoals(SDGs)announcedearlierthisyear.

ThisinitiativehasalsodemonstratedthatIndiaisnotshyofplayingtoitsstrengths.Althoughother
countrieshavemoresolarpowerdeployedcurrently,Indiawillbeoneofthelargestmarketsandits
domesticpolicy(tobuild100gigawatts)hassentsignalstodevelopersandfinanciers.
RoadaheadforISA:
However,InternationalSolarAllianceisoneamongmanymultilateralandplurilateralinitiatives,whichhave
beenlaunchedinrecentyears.OtherinitiativesincludetheInternationalRenewableEnergyAgency,
RenewableEnergyPolicyNetwork,RenewableEnergyandEnergyEfficiencyPartnership,GlobalGreen
GrowthInstitute,andsoon.Asthenewestintergovernmentalinstitutionintheworld,itisimperativethatISA
carvesanicheforitselfanddemonstratesgenuinevaluetoitsmembers.
Forthealliancetobesuccessful,itisnecessarytoconsiderimplementingthefollowingsteps:
Selectadirectorgeneral(DG)withasecretariat:AdynamicDGcandrawattentiontothealliance,build
relationshipswithmemberstatesandotherinternationalinstitutions,interactwiththemediaregularly,and
developastrategicplan.TheappointmentofaDGwilltaketimeandwillrequireconsensusamongmember
states.Butagoodchoicewouldmakethedifferencebetweenleadershipthatcanarticulateandexecutea
visionandonethatfailstograspISAspotential.
CreateacoreISAcoordinationgroup:Sinceitslaunch,theministriesofnewandrenewableenergy,
externalaffairsandotheragencieshavebeendiscussinginformallyandworkingtogethertokeeptheISA
wheelsmoving.However,sincetheworldislookingathowthisevolves,adedicatedinterministerialgroup
willbeneededtodistributetheworkload,allocatefunds,maintaincontactwithmemberstates,andprepare
relateddocuments.
IssueawhitepaperonISAgovernance:ISAisaninclusivemultilateralinstitutionbutthereisasyetlackof
clarityonitsgovernancestructure.Apaperoutliningalternativegovernancemodelswoulddrawinideasfrom
memberstatesandotherstakeholdersandinformdeliberationsinsubsequentmeetings.
LaunchanISAwebsite:ItshouldfeaturetheISAdeclaration,listofmembersandobservers,minutesof
meetings,proposedactivities,ameetingcalendar,governancestructure,and,eventually,outcomesofISA
activities.
IssuemonthlyISAbriefings:UntiladedicatedDGandsecretariatareinplace,regularpressbriefingsand
monthlyupdatestoallISAmembercountrieswouldbuildsupport.ThemoreISAisinthenews,themoreits
activitiesandpotentialwillgetattention.
Assessallproposalsthroughavalueaddlens:Anumberofideasarebeginningtocomeforwardon
whatotherinstitutions(private,publicandintergovernmental)coulddotoshapeISAsagenda,suchas
mobilisinginvestmentsordeployingprojectsinmembercountries.ItisimportantthatISAactivitiesdonot
overlapunnecessarilywiththoseofotherorganisations.Avalueaddperspectiveandmeasuringeach
initiativeagainststatedaimswouldhelpISAspecifyitsuniquepropositionforthebenefitofmembersand
investors.
Kickstartboldinitiatives:Itwouldbeusefultolaunchoneortwoboldinitiatives,whichcouldcapturethe
imaginationofISAmembers.Thiscouldtriggerinterestfrominnovators,projectdevelopers,bankersand
otherinvestors.
Establishformallinkswithprivatesectorplatforms:manyotherrenewableenergyfocusedorganisations
donothavestronglinkstotheprivatesector.ISAcandistinguishitselfbygivingprivatesectorconsortia

observerorassociatememberstatus,encouragingthemtodesignandimplementISAprogrammes,and
buildrelationshipsfortargetedinvestments.
AnnounceanISAsummitandexpo:Anannualorbiennialsummitandexpowoulddrawfurtherinterest.
BuildanISAheadquartersinNewDelhi:ISAwillneeditsrecognisablelocation,brandingandidentity.The
headquartersdesignshouldconveyISAsvision,itsopenandinclusivegovernance,itsemphasisonpractical
solutionsandscale,anditspurposeofdeliveringcleanenergyaccesstomillions.
Conclusion:
Today,whentheenergysourcesandtheexcessesofourindustrialagehaveputourplanetinperil,theworld
mustturntoSuntopowerourfuture.Solartechnologyisevolving,costsarecomingdownandgrid
connectivityisimproving.Thedreamofuniversalaccesstocleanenergyisbecomingmorereal.Andthe
launchofSolarAlliancewillbethefoundationoftheneweconomyofthenewcentury.Andhencethis
initiativecanbeseenasastepintherightdirection.
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