New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States (US) will withdraw from India-backed International Solar Alliance (ISA), as part of a broader decision to exit 66 international organisations and United Nations bodies. In a memorandum issued to heads of executive departments and agencies, Trump said he had determined that continued US participation in the listed organisations was “contrary to the interests of the United States,” following a review conducted under Executive Order 14199. The order directs all agencies to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawal “as soon as possible.”
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The International Solar Alliance is among 35 non-United Nations organisations from which the US will withdraw. The list includes International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Energy Forum, the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development, among others.
Among United Nations entities, the US will exit climate-, energy- and development-linked bodies including, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Energy, the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Asia, as well as UN Human Settlements Programme, UN Oceans, UN Water, and the UN Population Fund.
The memorandum states that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the US Representative to the United Nations, reviewed all international intergovernmental organisations and treaties to assess whether they align with US interests. Trump said he had considered the findings and deliberated with his Cabinet before taking the decision.
“For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law,” the memorandum said, adding that further reviews remain ongoing.
Sources in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said the government is aware of the US move. “We have seen the Memorandum issued by the US Government on 7 January, 2026 on its intent to withdraw from a number of International Organisations, including the International Solar Alliance (ISA),” MNRE sources said.
The sources added that India would continue to engage with the alliance and support its objectives. “We will continue to work with ISA and support solar adoption and energy transition goals,” they said.
Launched at the COP21 climate summit in Paris in 2015, the International Solar Alliance has emerged as a key platform for facilitating solar financing, policy support and technical assistance, particularly across developing economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The United States joined the India-led alliance as its 101st member in November 2021, with the announcement made by then US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry at the COP26 climate summit. At the time, the US said its decision to join ISA was aimed at accelerating global solar adoption and supporting a solar-led energy transition in developing countries.
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Since its inception, ISA has expanded to 125 member countries and made progress in promoting solar deployment, increasingly complemented by energy storage. Its programmes are operational in over 95 countries, supporting national project pipelines, regulatory frameworks and market creation, including through demonstration projects showcasing the viability of solar solutions across diverse regions.
