Solarization of Aviation sector

About International Solar Alliance (ISA)

• The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through the deployment of solar energy solutions. 
• It was presented by the leaders of the two countries at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris in 2015.
• Headquarters: India 
• The Assembly is the apex decision-making body of the ISA. 
  • It meets annually at the Ministerial level at the seat of the ISA.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

• It is a United Nations body. 
• It develops policies and standards, among other activities, for the member states and stakeholders.

About Paris Agreement:

• It is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.
• It replaced the Kyoto Protocol, an earlier agreement to deal with climate change.
• It is a landmark agreement as it brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, for the first time.
• It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, in December 2015 and entered into force in November 2016.
• Conference of Parties(COP): 
  • It is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC.
• Aim:
  • The agreement seeks to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industry levels. 
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): 
  • To achieve the targets under the agreement, the member countries have to submit the targets themselves, which they believe would lead to substantial progress towards reaching the Paris temperature goal. 
    • Initially, these targets are called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). 
    • They are converted to NDCs when the country ratifies the agreement.

Glasgow Climate Meet (Cop26)

• Glasgow meet strengthened the Paris Agreement mechanism of eliciting Pledges from countries and ratcheting them up over time.
• It requested countries to update and strengthen 2030 emission targets in their NDCs by the end of 2022.
• It explicitly revolved around keeping 1.5 degrees alive through such pledges.
  • However, it came under criticism that it focused on target setting, without giving sufficient importance to the challenge of implementing those targets.
• At COP 26, PM Narendra Modi announced India’s Panchamrit strategy with targets for climate action that included initiatives like International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
• Panchamrit strategy:
  • India will increase its non-fossil fuel energy capacity to 500 gigawatt (GW) by 2030.
  • It will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030.
  • The total projected carbon emissions will be reduced by 1 billion tonnes from now through 2030.
  • The carbon intensity of its economy will be brought down to less than 45 percent.
  • India will achieve its target of net zero by 2070.
• Green Grids Initiative — One Sun, One World, One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG):

• The “Green Grids Initiative” was announced at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland.
  • More than 80 countries backed it.
• The announcement was accompanied by the “One Sun Declaration”, which stated that, “realising the vision of ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ through interconnected green grids can be transformational.