International Renewable Energy Agency

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The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialised and developing countries. It was founded in 2009, and its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010. The agency is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The Director-General is Francesco La Camera of Italy. IRENA is an official United Nations observer.

History

1980: First proposals for IRENA traced to the Brandt Report.
NGOs like Eurosolar, WCRE, and WWEA were instrumental in lobbying for IRENA.
1990: Austrian government proposed the idea to the UN.
Key figure: Hermann Scheer, German politician and renewables advocate.
2008: Preparatory Conference with 54 countries.
26 Jan 2009: Founding Conference in Bonn; 75 countries signed the statute.
8 July 2010: Statute entered into force.
Interim HQ: Abu Dhabi (selected June 2009 in Sharm el-Sheikh).
Offices: Bonn (tech center), Vienna (UN liaison).
Directors-General:
- Hélène Pelosse (Interim)
- Adnan Amin (2011–2019)
- Francesco La Camera (2019–present)

Significant Events: - 2010: WWEA awarded founding member states the World Wind Energy Award. - 2014: Released the report REthinking Energy urging faster adoption of renewables. - 2015: 9th IRENA Council Meeting in Abu Dhabi. - 2023: UN declared January 26 as International Day of Clean Energy.

Aims

IRENA aims to:

Act as the global voice for renewable energy.
Provide advice and support to industrialised and developing countries.
Help improve regulatory frameworks and build capacity.
Offer access to reliable data, financial mechanisms, and technological expertise.
Coordinate with organisations like REN21.

Member States

Membership open to UN members and regional intergovernmental economic-integration organizations.
Jan 2019: Canada became the 160th member.
July 2022: 168 members + EU, with 17 more in accession.

Institutional Structure

1. Assembly

Main governing body
One delegate per member state
Meets yearly (e.g., 9th in 2019, 10th in 2020)

2. Council

21 elected members, 2-year terms
Rotates for fair representation
Oversees budgeting and reports

3. Secretariat

Executive branch, led by the Director-General
Provides technical support
Coordinates with Assembly and Council

United Nations Collaboration

IRENA is the only UN-recognized agency solely dedicated to renewable energy.
Engages with UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, UNESCO, World Bank, WTO, and more.
Focus areas: education, financing, trade, access to energy.

Renewable Energy Capacity Statistics (2013–2023)

2023: Global renewable electricity capacity rose by 473 GW – 86% of new power capacity.
China led the growth.
Solar capacity rose by 32.4% to 1.42 TW, surpassing hydropower.
Wind capacity exceeded 1 TW.
Target: Reach 11.2 TW by 2030.
- Requires 1,044 GW/year additions.
- Would cut CO₂ by 43% (2030) and 60% (2035).

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