The International Solar Alliance may consider an amendment to its original treaty to allow countries beyond the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer to become its members.

Speaking at an event to highlight the business outreach programme for solar projects under India’s lines of credit, Interim Director General of the International Solar Alliance, Upendra Tripathy, said, “The demand for joining ISA has been so high, from countries like Germany, Spain, Italy, Nepal and Mongolia that the ISA Assembly may consider an amendment to the original treaty and allow countries from beyond the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn to become members.”

“After this, countries which are members of the United Nations can become members of the International Solar Alliance,” Tripathy said.

The ISA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015. It was then meant to be a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs. Currently its membership is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

Till now 68 nations have become signatories to the ISA of which 40 have ratified the framework agreement.