Question

India along with which country jointly launched International Solar Alliance during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) ?
1. United Kingdom
2. France
3. United States of America
4. Germany

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : France

The correct answer is France.

• International Solar Alliance
  • The International Solar Alliance was launched jointly by the Indian Prime Minister and the French President during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP21, in Paris. Hence, Option 2 is correct.
  • It is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30^th November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource-rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.
  • Objective: To collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries.
  • Members: Till now, 87 countries have signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA, and of these 67 have deposited their instruments of ratification.
  • Nicaragua, a Central American country is the 87^th and the latest country to sign the agreement.
  • The Government of India has allotted 5 acres of land to the ISA in the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus, Gurugram, and has released a sum of Rs. 160 crore for creating a corpus fund, building infrastructure, and meeting day-to-day recurring expenditure of the ISA up to the year 2021-22.