Fourth ISA Assembly Kicks off On October 20 By Saur News Bureau/ Updated On Mon, Oct 18th, 2021 Highlights : Coming just before the COP26 summit, the ISA assembly needs to put down some clear markers on developing country limitations and ambitions to invest in renewable energy. Support for ISA, especially more funding support, is vital to enable countries to meet their renewable ambitions in solar. Romania Joins As The 118th Member Country Of International Solar Alliance The International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) fourth session is scheduled to be held on October 20, in virtual mode. The Gurugram headquartered body has been the largest multilateral initiative backed by India in recent decades. India has also applied to grant observer status to the body in the UN General Assembly to help provide for regular cooperation between ISA and the United Nations, benefiting global energy growth and development. “The 4th Assembly of the ISA will be deliberating upon the Strategic Plan of the ISA for the next five years encompassing a Country Partnership Framework, Strategy for Private Sector Engagement, initiatives such as Blended Finance Risk Mitigation Facility and Viability Gap Financing scheme to facilitate affordable finance for solar energy projects across ISA’s membership,” says a statement from the ISA said. The Assembly will also feature an update on the ISA’s various key initiatives such as the ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ initiative, the STARC project, the Trillion Dollars Solar Investment Roadmap for 2030, and progress made by the ISA over the past year. Initiated by India along with France, the ISA is an alliance of 124 countries, most of which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, with the primary objective of working for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Issues linked to the trillion dollar funding push have been in the limelight in recent months as the COP26 event comes closer, with the developing world raising the issue of failure to provide promised funding, especially aid and grant funding, from the developed world. ISA Could Be Welcoming the US As Member Soon Also Read The ISA Secretariat has planned a series of technical sessions on various strategic initiatives of the ISA on October 18 and technical sessions on various emergent issues in the solar and clean energy sector in partnership with partner and other organisations on October 21. EXIM Bank Extends $40 M to Togo to Power 350 Villages with Solar PV Also Read The technical sessions would feature in-depth expert deliberations on various thematic issues to help the ISA Secretariat refine its programmatic focus moving forward, it said. Dr Ajay Mathur is the current Director General of the ISA. Tags: Ajay Mathur, fourth assembly, India, International Solar Alliance, ISA, solar funding