Saudi Arabia Signs Framework Agreement of ISA

Saudi Arabia has become the 73rd nation to sign the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance.

The agreement was inked during the official state visit of the Crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Royal Highness Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saad to India. The signed agreement was handed to ISA’s Director-General Upendra Tripathy in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Countries which have signed the agreement until now include India, France, Australia, UAE, UK, Japan amongst others. The agreement was opened for signature during the COP22 at Marrakech on November 15, 2016.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a group of 121 solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in Gurugram, India. The organization aims to deploy over 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilize more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Recently, on the sidelines of the official three-day visit of Argentinian President Mauricio Macri to India by Argentina’s Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie signed the ISA Framework Agreement to make Argentina the 72nd nation to do so.

In November 2018, the Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for India moving a resolution for opening up of International Solar Alliance (ISA) membership to all UN countries. Opening the membership of the ISA will put solar energy in global agenda with the universal appeal for developing and deploying solar energy.

“It will make ISA inclusive, whereby all member countries that are members of the United Nations could become members. Expanding membership will lead to ISA initiative benefitting the world at large,” a statement added.

In December 2018, the ISA and the European Union signed an agreement to enhance solar energy on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.