International Solar Alliance (ISA) will provide technical support to Bangladesh to pull in financing to the renewable energy sector.   “We’ll help Bangladesh find a right policy to introduce a right business model for investment in the solar power sector,” said ISA director general Ajay Mathur while addressing a press briefing at Intercontinental Hotel in the city on Thursday. The ISA is an alliance of 123 signatory countries based on an intergovernmental treaty whose primary objective is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The remarks came following Bangladesh’s signing of a strategic country partnership agreement with the ISA to accelerate the development of solar energy. Power secretary Habinur Rahman and DG of ISA Ajay Mathur signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides. The ISA chief informed that the land scarcity and right technological solution have the biggest challenge in achieving a target to the government to generate 40 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2041. “Options like floating solar could be an ideal solution for Bangladesh… We’ll be working to find innovative ideas,” he said. Power secretary Habibur Rahman informed that a total of 8 projects were undertaken to implement under the agreement with ISA. Read more: US joins India-led International Solar Alliance as member country These include installations of 12 trolley mounted portable solar irrigation systems of about 2Kw capacity, 12c portable solar paddy threshers of about 2kW capacity, 2 rooftop solar projects with capacity of 22 kW, solar cold storage for preservation of agricultural produce, development of rooftop project at Chattagram or any other railway station, installation of floating solar project in Gazipur and Munshiganj. Conversion of two manually operated sluice gates to floating solar-powered auto sluice gates in two sites under Bangladesh Water Development Board is also included under the agreement. Jiangbo Ning, deputy country director of the Asian Development Board (ADB) in Bangladesh, who also addressed at the press briefing, said planned to convert 3,000 diesel-powered irrigation pumps into solar-powered one.

The United States on Wednesday became the 101st member country of the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry signed the ISA framework agreement to catalyse global energy transition through a solar-led approach.  Kerry described the US membership as a major step towards the rapid deployment of solar power, as he formally signed the framework agreement at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow reported The Economic Times. "It has long been coming, and we are happy to join the International Solar Alliance, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead in making," said Kerry. Also read: Kerry says US examining carbon border tax, sees risks "We worked out the details and this is a process we are pleased to be a part of. This will be an important contribution to more rapid deployment of solar globally. It will be particularly important for developing countries,” he said. Union Minister for Environment Bhupender Yadav welcomed the US as the 101st member of the ISA, saying this move will strengthen the solar alliance and propel future action on providing a clean source of energy to the world. "Happy that now USA is formally a part of International Solar Alliance, a visionary initiative launched by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji in 2015 at Paris COP. The number of countries who are now part of @isolaralliance is now 101,” the minister later tweeted. The ISA framework, first circulated for countries to support in 2016, emphasises delivering global relevance and local benefit to all countries through collaborations. The ISA's key interventions focus on readiness and enabling activities, risk mitigation and innovative financing instruments to facilitate the promotion and deployment of solar technologies in target markets. "The US' endorsement of ISA's framework and approach is an heartening development, especially as our 101st member nation, which is a significant milestone in itself, demonstrating that nations across the world are recognising the economic and climate mitigating value of solar, as well as this energy source's potential as a catalyst for global energy transition,” said Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General of the ISA. Also read: India At COP26 Says Its Solar Energy Capacity Increased 17 Times In 7 Years "We are now even more committed to translating this confidence into tangible projects and developments on the ground, accelerating the momentum of solar adoption that has been built so far. We hope remaining nations and economies will follow suit, and align with us to achieve swift, affordable and effective climate action, while also achieving their respective economic growth and long-term development priorities,” he said. The alliance highlights how the approach and methods detailed in the ISA framework have already delivered results, with ISA building a solar project pipeline of nearly 5 GW installed capacity. The approach detailed in the framework is designed to culminate in a vision for interconnected global grids, which was formalised and jointly launched as the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid' (GGI-OSOWOG), during the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 in Glasgow last week by the UK Presidency of COP26 and India Presidency of ISA. Earlier at COP26, the United States also joined the Steering Committee of the GGI-OSOWOG comprising five members – US, Australia, France, UK, and India — and endorsed the One Sun Declaration along with 80 countries. The launch of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Francois Hollande, former President of France, in November 2015 – at the 21st session of United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France.

Underlining that the International Solar Alliance will usher in a new era of "green energy diplomacy", India introduced a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly for granting Observer Status for the global initiative that would help provide for regular cooperation between ISA and the United Nations, benefiting global energy growth and development, reports NDTV. The International Solar Alliance or ISA was jointly launched by India and France in 2015 at the 21st Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) held in Paris. "It is my honour to introduce the draft resolution...for granting Observer Status for the International Solar Alliance on behalf of India and France" and about 80 co-sponsors, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said on Friday. "The International Solar Alliance through its efforts to bring about just and equitable energy solutions through the deployment of solar energy is expected to usher in a new era of green energy diplomacy," Ambassador Tirumurti said in the General Assembly as he introduced the draft resolution in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly that deals with legal questions. Read:9 dead as rains trigger landslides in India The granting of Observer Status to International Solar Alliance in the General Assembly would help provide for a regular and well-defined cooperation between the Alliance and the United Nations that would benefit global energy growth and development, he said. The co-sponsors include Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom. "Another milestone for (the) International Solar Alliance. India introduces draft resolution in #UNGA for granting Observer Status to @isolaralliance (ISA). I said that ISA, through its efforts towards just & equitable energy solutions, will usher in (a) new era of "Green Energy Diplomacy"," Ambassador Tirumurti tweeted. He underlined that granting ISA observer status in UNGA would enable the organisation to provide targeted inputs to current and future United Nations processes, based on grass-root level experiences from its country programmes, its research and public-private cooperation activities and its global knowledge-sharing activities. ISA is also taking a big step towards addressing some of the questions like "technological transfer", "storage of solar energy" and even financial assistance to member countries, along with project layout and project planning, Mr Tirumurti said. The United Nations General Assembly may grant Permanent Observer Status to non-member states, international organisations and other entities. Read: Made in India virus kits boost testing, and local industry As per information on the UN website, the General Assembly decided that "observer status would be confined to states and intergovernmental organisations whose activities cover matters of interest to the Assembly". The Sixth Committee of the General Assembly considers all applications for observer status before they are considered in the plenary session. Permanent Observers may participate in the sessions and workings of the General Assembly and maintain missions at the UN headquarters, the website said. Intergovernmental Organisations having received a standing invitation to participate as Observers in the sessions and the work of the UNGA include European Union, INTERPOL, International Renewable Energy Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Asian Development Bank, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Commonwealth of Independent States, European Organisation for Nuclear Research, Indian Ocean Rim Association, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, International Committee of the Red Cross and International Olympic Committee. Mr Tirumurti stressed that the Framework Agreement of ISA explicitly designates the UN, including its organs, as strategic partners of the Alliance. "Observer status will greatly enhance the Alliance's ability to achieve its goals," he said, adding that ISA will be able to follow closely the deliberations in the General Assembly, cooperate with the UN organs, agencies and programmes in implementation of its programmes and activities and benefit from the UN network of field offices, its experience in programme cooperation with governments and its wide resources in the development process. The International Solar Alliance was opened for signature as an international treaty-based organisation in November 2016 and the agreement entered into force on December 6, 2017. Read:India lifts travel curbs on those arriving from UK Mr Tirumurti said the Alliance of solar-resource rich countries with its membership was open to those 121 UN member states that lie fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This was further amended at the First Assembly of the ISA, to expand the scope of ISA membership to all UN member states. He said the Paris Declaration on the launch of International Solar Alliance expounded the shared vision of bringing clean, affordable, and renewable energy within reach of all. Noting that International Solar Alliance is dedicated to contributing to the successful outcome of the UN process on sustainable development and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals, Mr Tirumurti said, "We seek your support for the draft resolution." "Since its establishment, International Solar Alliance has strived to achieve its objectives by initiating thematic programmes dedicated to the deployment of cross-cutting solar energy applications across multiple sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, health, and electricity. ISA has played an important role internationally in supporting the implementation of United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change and the global climate agenda in general," he said. Mr Tirumurti added that participation in major international meetings involving these issues is often critical for International Solar Alliance to carry out its work and mandate. In addition, ISA has wide resources and the expertise to make a significant contribution to all such meetings, dialogues and decisions, by helping to shape the global policy dialogue.