Kamal Ghorui
India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) will continue working with its 125 member and signatory countries to advance solar energy deployment and climate objectives, official sources said, after the United States withdrew from the initiative, PTI reported.The Gurugram-headquartered ISA, a joint initiative of India and France, was launched on the sidelines of the COP21 climate summit in Paris in 2015 to promote solar energy as a key tool to combat climate change. Following a 2020 amendment to its Framework Agreement, all UN member states became eligible to join the alliance.US President Donald Trump has withdrawn Washington from several international organisations, including the International Solar Alliance, calling them “redundant” and “contrary” to American interests. On Wednesday, Trump signed a memorandum titled ‘Withdrawing the United States from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States’.Reacting to the development, official sources said the Indian government has “noted the media reports citing US withdrawal from 66 international organisations, including the International Solar Alliance (ISA)”.They added that the alliance will continue to work closely with its member countries, particularly least developed countries and small island developing states, on solar energy deployment, mobilisation of finance, capacity building and reduction of risk perceptions.India currently holds the presidency of the ISA, which has 125 member and signatory nations. The body will remain focused on supporting members in scaling up solar energy to meet their development needs and achieve universal energy access, sources told PTI.Officials also said they have seen the US memorandum issued on January 7, 2026, expressing Washington’s intent to withdraw from several international organisations, including the ISA.Since its inception, the International Solar Alliance has made steady progress in promoting solar energy adoption and cooperation among its members, with solar increasingly being complemented by energy storage solutions. ISA programmes are operational in over 95 countries, supporting national project pipelines, regulatory frameworks and market creation.The alliance has demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of solar solutions through projects across regions, and will continue supporting solar adoption and broader energy transition goals, sources said.
