The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was officially established in Bonn on 26 January 2009. As of today, 141 states and the European Union signed the Statute of the Agency; amongst them are 47 African, 37 European, 33 Asian, 15 American and 9 Australia/Oceania States.
Mandated by these governments worldwide, IRENA will promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms or renewable energy. Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will facilitate access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data, economic data and renewable resource potential data. IRENA will share experiences on best practices and lessons learned regarding policy frameworks, capacity-building projects, available finance mechanisms and renewable energy related energy efficiency measures.
With the establishment of the Preparatory Commission, the Agency began work the day after the Founding Conference on 27 January 2009. The Preparatory Commission consists of IRENA’s Signatory States and acts as the interim body during the founding period. The Commission will be dissolved after entry into force of the Statute, which will occur upon the 25th deposit of an instrument of ratification. The Agency will then consist of an Assembly, a Council, and a Secretariat.
On its third session on 17 January 2010 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Signatories discussed IRENA’s Work Programme and Budget for the year 2010 and adopted important rules and regulations that will shape and guide the work of the Agency in the future.
Background
Energy is a basic human need. Without energy, everything would come to a standstill. A necessary factor in fostering human development and economic growth is a secure, affordable, reliable, clean, and sustainable energy supply. Today we face monumental challenges: global warming, the waning of natural resources, explosions in population growth, increasing energy demand, rising energy prices, and unequal distribution of energy sources. All of these factors contribute to the urgent need to transform the energy sector - which primarily relies on fossil fuels - to one that uses renewable energies and energy efficient measures.Renewable energy is one of the key solutions to the current challenges facing the world’s energy future. Many countries already foster the production and use of renewable energy through different approaches on a political and economic level because they recognise the many benefits renewable energy provides. The current use of renewable energy, however, is still limited in spite of its vast potential. The obstacles are manifold and include: lengthy permitting procedures, import tariffs and technical barriers, insecure financing of renewable energy projects, and insufficient awareness of the opportunities for renewable energy.
This is where IRENA can play a role. A major task of the Agency is to develop comprehensive solutions to the above-mentioned challenges, such as fostering all types of renewable energy and to consider various renewable energy policies at the local, regional, and national levels. In fulfilling its work, IRENA considers specific environmental, economic, and socio-cultural conditions of its Members. The active involvement of stakeholders from the energy industry, academia, civil society, and other institutions is very important for the Agency to implement successful and enduring policy solutions. Therefore, it intends to regularly consult and cooperate with organisations and networks already engaged in the field of renewable energy in order to complement and pool their work resources, thus creating added value.
IRENA’s Work Programme for 2010 details and concretises the Agency’s activities for 2010 and beyond.