In a ceremony held on the sidelines of the 42th Session of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal on 26 September 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between International Solar Alliance (ISA) and ICAO.
India has pledged for Net Zero Carbon goal in 2070 in COP 26. Its approach continues to be human-centric, based on respect and national ownership principles, with commitment to one and all. India has pledged a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy of which 100 GW will be solar energy by 2022 and reduction in emission intensity by 33-35% by 2030, to let solar energy reach the most unconnected villages and communities. Cochin International Airport in India became the world’s first fully Solar powered airport in the world in 2015.
India, with the support of France, has invited nations to facilitate infrastructure for implementation of solar projects. The alliance has committed one trillion dollars as investment, and it is committed to making the costs of solar power more affordable for remote and inaccessible communities.
ICAO is committed towards reducing carbon emissions in aviation sector through its numerous initiatives and goals. In this noble initiative, Partnership between ISA and ICAO through this MoU could not have come at a better time, as it will trigger a range of interventions towards developing capacity of States to use solar energy. It will work towards providing information, providing advocacy, capacity building and demonstration projects. It will enable the solarization of aviation sector across all Member States.
International Solar Alliance
The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of 121 signatory countries, most being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
- Headquarters: Gurugram
- Founded: 30 November 2015
The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This initiative was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech in November 2015 at Wembley Stadium (London HA9 0WS, United Kingdom), in which he referred to sunshine countries as Suryaputra (“Sons of the Sun”). The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization. Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights.