Heading the green march, IRENA turns ‘five’

RITIKA SHARMA / Abu Dhabi

It has been nearly half a decade of Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) efforts towards a sustainable and green planet. As this global bodymarks the fifth anniversary of its formal creation on Monday, it looks forward to expanding its role as the universal voice of renewables.
Adnan Z. Amin IRENA Director-General, said, “The past five years have witnessed a dramatic shift in the global energy sector. Technology costs of renewables have plummeted, investment is growing year over year and global capacity additions have skyrocketed.”
“Leaders from the public and private sector around the world are committing to renewables over other energy sources in an unprecedented manner. We are truly in the midst of a total transformation of the global energy paradigm,” he pointed out.
As a fully-fledged inter-governmental organisation, IRENA has seen widely-accepted international recognition.
It is acknowledged as the lead agency for renewable energy in climate action, with concrete initiatives profiled at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit 2014 and at COP21 in Paris. Besides, this global agency has won various awards and recognitions on many forums worldwide.
IRENA was also selected as the Hub for Renewable Energy within the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Last October, the G20 Energy Ministerial adopted an IRENA-led toolkit for renewable energy deployment.
It is worth a mention that since 2011, IRENA engagement has grown to more than 175 countries with activities taking place in 90 nations around the world. It has provided advisory support to dozens of countries, assisting them with policy frameworks to scale up renewables.
Over the years, the agency has become the recognised leader for authoritative knowledge resources on renewable energy costs, resource potentials and employment. IRENA has also developed practical tools such as roadmaps to enable countries to better plan their energy transition. In addition, it has spearheaded several regional initiatives to leverage markets, strengthen collaborations and improve the knowledge sharing exercises.
“The growth of IRENA as an Agency is a testament to the strong commitment to renewable energy worldwide. IRENA was created to support and accelerate the ongoing global energy transition and the rapid growth potential it offers well into the future. Today we are well equipped to support its member countries in this rapidly evolving global transition,” added Amin.