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Trump Axes US Role in India-Founded Solar Alliance, Citing "Climate Orthodoxy"

President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of the United States from the Gurugram-based International Solar Alliance (ISA), labeling it among 66 international bodies working against U.S. national interests. The move is part of a sweeping order targeting UN and non-UN organizations with climate and environmental mandates, which Trump has long criticized. The ISA, co-founded by India and France in 2015, aims to mobilize $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 and had received U.S. funding support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the action as a pushback against "climate orthodoxy" threatening U.S. sovereignty and prosperity.

Key Points: US Withdraws from International Solar Alliance Under Trump Order

  • US exits 66 international entities
  • Targets climate & UN organizations
  • ISA founded by India & France
  • Trump calls climate change a "hoax"
2 min read

Trump orders US withdrawal from Gurugram-based International Solar Alliance

President Trump pulls the US out of the India-France led International Solar Alliance, targeting 66 climate and UN bodies as contrary to national interests.

"climate orthodoxy that was working against our nation's sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity - Marco Rubio"

New York, Jan 8

President Donald Trump has ordered the US out of the Gurugram-headquartered International Solar Alliance that promotes using energy from the sun to combat climate change.

The ISA was among the 66 international entities that he withdrew the US from in an order on Wednesday, alleging that they worked "contrary to US national interests", the White House said.

Trump, who has called climate change a "hoax", swung the axe hard against entities -- UN and non-UN -- with climate and environment mandates, catching the ISA.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that one of the reasons for the US action was "climate orthodoxy" that was working against "our nation's sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity".

The ISA was founded in 2015 jointly by India and France and has 124 signatories, of whom about 100 are full members.

Its primary goal is to raise investments of $1 trillion for solar energy, besides encouraging related technologies by 2030. It is headed by Director-General Ashish Khanna.

Between 2022 and 2025, Washington's contributions to the ISA were $2.1 million, according to a US government database, which said the funds were "to support the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership through ISA programmes to accelerate the deployment of solar in developing and emerging countries".

The United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change, through which the Paris Climate Agreement was reached, was foremost among the 31 UN-linked organisations that Trump targeted.

Others included UN entities dealing with water, oceans, and energy, and the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.

The 35 non-UN organisations included nine working in the climate change and environment areas.

Among them was the International Panel on Climate Change that was headed by India's Rajendra Pachauri when it won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

The US committed to joining the ISA in 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Barack Obama at the White House.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Very disappointing. Climate change is real and affecting farmers in India right now. The ISA headquartered in Gurugram is doing important work. The US withdrawal over "sovereignty" sounds like an excuse to avoid responsibility. Hope other member nations fill the funding gap.
M
Michael C
While I respect the US's right to make its own decisions, pulling out of 66 international bodies, including one focused on a solution like solar energy, seems extreme. The $2.1 million contribution is a drop in the bucket for the US budget. This feels more political than practical.
R
Rohit P
Honestly, good riddance. If their commitment was so weak, maybe it's better they leave. The ISA has 124 signatories. We don't need a member who calls climate science a "hoax" while our coastal cities face rising sea levels. Let's focus on strengthening partnerships with nations that are serious.
S
Sarah B
The timing is terrible. With India pushing so hard on its solar mission and rooftop solar schemes, international cooperation is key. The ISA losing a founding member like the US is a symbolic blow, but hopefully the work continues. The goal of $1 trillion in investments is too important.
K
Karthik V
This is about more than climate. It's about India's growing role on the world stage. The ISA is headquartered here, led by an Indian DG. The US exit is a challenge, but also an opportunity for India to steer the alliance independently and prove its diplomatic and technical muscle.

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