International Renewable Energy Agency
Encyclopedia
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy
. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data. Its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010.
On June 2009, at the Preparatory Commission meeting Abu Dhabi
was elected as interim headquarters of the Agency.
. Over the last two decades, as president of EUROSOLAR
and chair of the World Council for Renewable Energy
, he has constantly argued for the establishment of a political institution in the form of an international governmental organisation for renewable energy. "The long way from the initiative to the foundation of the IRENA shows that you do not only need further leading ideas but also patience and stamina for their realization." said Scheer in retrospect. Hermann Scheer held a speech during the founding conference, he said: "IRENA will push forward the global use of Renewable Energies and accelerate their introduction. Now IRENA can start its work without delay and create first structures. After 19 years of preparation we should not lose any more time."
In November 2003, the World Wind Energy Association
(WWEA) assumed a resolution to support the creation of IRENA and, since then, actively promoted IRENA throughout the world, amongst governments and industry.
On June 15, at their annual event, the WWEA gave their 2010 World Wind Energy Award to the Founding member States of IRENA. They stated: ″The creation of IRENA can be seen as the most important decision ever taken on the global level in favour of renewable energy. The founding of IRENA sent out a very strong signal to the world community that renewable energy will have to play and will play a key role in the future energy supply all over the world. With the Award, WWEA would also like to indicate that WWEA is committed to work closely with IRENA and will continue to give its full support.″
54 countries participated in the Preparatory Conference for the Foundation of the International Renewable Energy Agency in Berlin, held on April 10 and 11, 2008. This meeting followed several other meetings since 1981 which also discussed the formation of IRENA. At Berlin, government representatives met to discuss the objectives, activities, finances, and organizational structure of IRENA. Participants expressed a need to begin a swift transition to a more secure, sustainable renewable energy economy with the assistance of an international body.
The Founding Conference of the International Renewable Energy Agency was held in Bonn
, Germany, on January 26, 2009. 75 countries signed the Agency's statute. The statute entered into force on July 8, 2010, thirty days after the twenty-fifth country deposits its instrument of ratification. The Founding Conference established the Preparatory Commission for IRENA, which consists of all signatory states.
During the first session of the Preparatory Commission in Bonn on January 27, 2009, the signatory countries adopted criteria and procedures for selecting IRENA's Interim Director-General and its interim headquarters. An Administrative Committee was created to assist the Commission in preparing its second session. The Administrative Committee prepared draft proposals for an interim work programme and budget as well as for interim staff regulations and interim financial rules. Nominations for the Interim Director-General and the interim headquarters were submitted by 30 April 2009.
The second session of the Preparatory Commission met on Sharm El Sheik, Egypt
, on June 29–30, 2009, to elect the Interim Director General and decide the location of IRENA's interim
headquarters.
It was decided, that the interim headquarters will be located in Abu Dhabi
, Masdar City
, United Arab Emirates
. The UAE thus became the first developing country to host a major international organisation. In addition, an innovation and technology center will be located in Bonn, and an office dedicated to liaising with the United Nations
and other international institutions will be located in Vienna
. Hélène Pelosse
was elected as the Interim Director-General. The second session of the Preparatory Commission also adopted an interim work programme and budget as well as for interim staff regulations and interim financial rules.
The fourth session of the Preparatory Commission on 24–25 October 2010 in Abu Dhabi appointed Kenyan representative Adnan Amin, Deputy Interim Director-General, to perform functions of Interim Director-General after resignation of Hélène Pelosse. On 4 April 2011, Adnan Amin was sworn in as the first Director-General.
IRENA provides advice and support to governments on renewable energy policy
, capacity building, and technology transfer. IRENA will also co-ordinate with existing renewable energy organizations, such as REN21
.
during 2009 Climate week in New York
, together with Mr. Ban explored future fields of cooperation between IRENA and various UN bodies. IRENA also seeks to cooperate with the UN and associated organisations like the United Nations University
, UNESCO, the World Bank
, GEF, UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, and WTO in the areas of education and training, financing, access to energy, potential studies and trade.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data. Its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010.
On June 2009, at the Preparatory Commission meeting Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
was elected as interim headquarters of the Agency.
History
The idea to establish IRENA can be traced back to Hermann ScheerHermann Scheer
Hermann Scheer was a Social Democrat member of the German Bundestag , President of Eurosolar and General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy...
. Over the last two decades, as president of EUROSOLAR
Eurosolar
Eurosolar is the non-profit European Association for Renewable Energy that conducts its work independently of political parties, institutions, commercial enterprises and interest groups...
and chair of the World Council for Renewable Energy
World Council for Renewable Energy
The World Council for Renewable Energy defends, develops, and promotes policies on the multinational, governmental, regional and individual levels in favour of the use of natural and renewable forms of energy to replace fossil and nuclear energy....
, he has constantly argued for the establishment of a political institution in the form of an international governmental organisation for renewable energy. "The long way from the initiative to the foundation of the IRENA shows that you do not only need further leading ideas but also patience and stamina for their realization." said Scheer in retrospect. Hermann Scheer held a speech during the founding conference, he said: "IRENA will push forward the global use of Renewable Energies and accelerate their introduction. Now IRENA can start its work without delay and create first structures. After 19 years of preparation we should not lose any more time."
In November 2003, the World Wind Energy Association
World Wind Energy Association
The World Wind Energy Association is an international non-profit association representing the wind power sector worldwide, with members in 100 countries, amongst them the leading national and regional wind energy associations...
(WWEA) assumed a resolution to support the creation of IRENA and, since then, actively promoted IRENA throughout the world, amongst governments and industry.
On June 15, at their annual event, the WWEA gave their 2010 World Wind Energy Award to the Founding member States of IRENA. They stated: ″The creation of IRENA can be seen as the most important decision ever taken on the global level in favour of renewable energy. The founding of IRENA sent out a very strong signal to the world community that renewable energy will have to play and will play a key role in the future energy supply all over the world. With the Award, WWEA would also like to indicate that WWEA is committed to work closely with IRENA and will continue to give its full support.″
54 countries participated in the Preparatory Conference for the Foundation of the International Renewable Energy Agency in Berlin, held on April 10 and 11, 2008. This meeting followed several other meetings since 1981 which also discussed the formation of IRENA. At Berlin, government representatives met to discuss the objectives, activities, finances, and organizational structure of IRENA. Participants expressed a need to begin a swift transition to a more secure, sustainable renewable energy economy with the assistance of an international body.
The Founding Conference of the International Renewable Energy Agency was held in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany, on January 26, 2009. 75 countries signed the Agency's statute. The statute entered into force on July 8, 2010, thirty days after the twenty-fifth country deposits its instrument of ratification. The Founding Conference established the Preparatory Commission for IRENA, which consists of all signatory states.
During the first session of the Preparatory Commission in Bonn on January 27, 2009, the signatory countries adopted criteria and procedures for selecting IRENA's Interim Director-General and its interim headquarters. An Administrative Committee was created to assist the Commission in preparing its second session. The Administrative Committee prepared draft proposals for an interim work programme and budget as well as for interim staff regulations and interim financial rules. Nominations for the Interim Director-General and the interim headquarters were submitted by 30 April 2009.
The second session of the Preparatory Commission met on Sharm El Sheik, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, on June 29–30, 2009, to elect the Interim Director General and decide the location of IRENA's interim
Interim
Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...
headquarters.
It was decided, that the interim headquarters will be located in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, Masdar City
Masdar City
Masdar is a project in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Its core is a planned city, which is being built by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company, with the majority of seed capital provided by the government of Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. The UAE thus became the first developing country to host a major international organisation. In addition, an innovation and technology center will be located in Bonn, and an office dedicated to liaising with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and other international institutions will be located in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Hélène Pelosse
Hélène Pelosse
Hélène Pelosse was the first elected Interim Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency . She served in this position for 15 months, from Jun 30, 2009 until October 21, 2010....
was elected as the Interim Director-General. The second session of the Preparatory Commission also adopted an interim work programme and budget as well as for interim staff regulations and interim financial rules.
The fourth session of the Preparatory Commission on 24–25 October 2010 in Abu Dhabi appointed Kenyan representative Adnan Amin, Deputy Interim Director-General, to perform functions of Interim Director-General after resignation of Hélène Pelosse. On 4 April 2011, Adnan Amin was sworn in as the first Director-General.
Aims
IRENA aims to become the main driving force in promoting a transition towards the use of renewable energy on a global scale:
Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will provide practical advice and support for both industrialised and developing countries, help them improve their regulatory frameworks and build capacity. The agency will facilitate access to all relevant information including reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, best practices, effective financial mechanisms and state-of-the-art technological expertise.
IRENA provides advice and support to governments on renewable energy policy
Renewable energy policy
Renewable energy policy is the principal driver of the growth in renewable energy use. As of 2011, 119 countries have some form of national renewable energy policy target or renewable support policy. National targets now exist in at least 98 countries...
, capacity building, and technology transfer. IRENA will also co-ordinate with existing renewable energy organizations, such as REN21
REN21
REN21, the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, is a policy network that provides a forum for international leadership in renewable energy policy, in order to share knowledge and facilitate the rapid growth of renewable energy technologies in developing countries and industrialised...
.
Member States
As of 16 March 2011, 148 countries and the European Union have signed the statute of IRENA, and 66 signatories have ratified it. Signatories include almost all European and African countries, and also major economies as the United States, India, Japan, and Australia.United Nations
Hélène Pelosse, former Interim Director General of IRENA, met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
during 2009 Climate week in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, together with Mr. Ban explored future fields of cooperation between IRENA and various UN bodies. IRENA also seeks to cooperate with the UN and associated organisations like the United Nations University
United Nations University
The United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
, UNESCO, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, GEF, UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, and WTO in the areas of education and training, financing, access to energy, potential studies and trade.
See also
- American Council on Renewable EnergyAmerican Council on Renewable EnergyThe American Council On Renewable Energy is focused on accelerating the adoption of renewable energy technologies into the mainstream of American society...
(ACORE) - Energy developmentEnergy developmentEnergy development is the effort to provide sufficient primary energy sources and secondary energy forms for supply, cost, impact on air pollution and water pollution, mitigation of climate change with renewable energy....
- European Future Energy ForumEuropean Future Energy ForumThe European Future Energy Forum is an initiative developed with Masdar—Abu Dhabi's multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar investment in the development and commercialisation of innovative technologies in renewable, alternative and sustainable energies. The Forum was launched in 2009 following the...
- International Partnership for Energy Efficiency CooperationInternational Partnership for Energy Efficiency CooperationThe International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation is a high-level international forum which includes developed and developing countries...
- International Renewable Energy ConferenceInternational Renewable Energy ConferenceInternational Renewable Energy Conference is a meeting of senior-level representatives from the Executive and Legislative branches of government at the national and subnational level, international organizations, the finance and business community, and civil society who are working to advance the...
- IREO
- Hans Jørgen KochHans Jørgen KochHans Jørgen Koch is the Deputy State Secretary at the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy. He is a member of the Governing Board of the International Energy Agency....
- REEEP
- Renewable-energy economy
- Renewable energy industry
- Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change MitigationRenewable Energy Sources and Climate Change MitigationThe United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a special report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation on May 9, 2011. The report evaluates the global potential for using renewable energy to mitigate climate change...
- Repower America
- Solar Energy Industries AssociationSolar Energy Industries AssociationEstablished in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national nonprofit trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is working to build a strong solar industry to power America...
(SEIA) - United Nations Environment Organization
- United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUnited Nations Industrial Development OrganizationThe United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...