International Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a partnership of countries that works to expand the use of solar energy. As a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation, its mandate is to coordinate countries’ efforts to overcome common barriers to solar deployment and make solar energy more affordable, accessible and sustainable.

Treaty basis and institutional character

The ISA was jointly launched by India and France at the Paris climate conference in 2015. Its Framework Agreement entered into force in 2017, establishing it as a treaty-based international organisation.

• Its headquarters is in Gurugram, India.
• Its Assembly brings together member countries to guide the organisation, while its Secretariat supports implementation of its programmes.
• It is a platform for cooperation among governments, rather than a supranational authority directing national energy policies.

Core mandate

The ISA seeks to address shared obstacles to scaling up solar energy in line with countries’ needs. Its central concern is not merely installing more generating capacity, but making solar applications financially viable and practically usable.

• It promotes affordable finance for solar projects by encouraging cooperation among governments, financial institutions and other stakeholders.
• It seeks to reduce the costs of solar technology and deployment through demand aggregation, coordinated action and the exchange of successful approaches.
• It supports research, development and innovation suited to member countries’ solar-energy requirements.
• It strengthens technical and institutional capacity through training, information exchange and the dissemination of knowledge.

How the mandate is pursued

The ISA translates cooperation into member-driven programmes. Countries can pursue common priorities together without every member having to participate in every initiative.

• It facilitates partnerships among governments, international organisations, research institutions, businesses and financing agencies.
• It supports the preparation and implementation of solar programmes, including applications relevant to agriculture, electricity access and decentralised energy supply.
• Its work on capacity building helps countries develop the skills and institutions needed to plan, procure, operate and maintain solar systems.
• By expanding solar deployment, it supports energy access, energy security and the transition towards lower-carbon energy systems.