Photovoltaic Systems and Just Energy Transition: Bridging the Energy Gap in Developing Nations under the International Solar Alliance Framework

In the last three years, global investments in renewable energy capacity have outpaced those in fossil fuels. The considerable possibilities for harnessing solar and wind energy in various regions remain largely untapped, mainly due to the hesitance of risk-averse investors to commit resources to markets they view as challenging. Established in 2015, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) serves by way of a strategic inventiveness designed to unite nations abundant in solar resources to foster a larger market. This partnership aims to improve the implementation of current solar technologies, further reduce costs, and promote collaborative research and development in solar energy, along with capacity building. The ISA possesses significant potential to propel climate action in developing nations, particularly in regions of the global south, including Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, provided it can successfully mobilize financing, technology, and large-scale solar initiatives. This document delineates the ISA as a strategic instrument for economic diplomacy among Global South nations, focusing on its economic goals—particularly in finance and technology aimed at facilitating a clean energy transition and fostering global leadership. By leveraging insights derived from the ISA's structure and operations, this brief emphasizes the necessity aimed at countries in the Global South to reassess as well as expand their involvement in this climate system. Ultimately, it provides strategy suggestions aimed at India toward effectively harnessing ISA's stage toward further its key cooperation aims of augmenting financial resources aimed at climate initiatives, thereby strengthening its broader strategy to enhance its position as a prominent global power.