Parliamentary engagement
Engagement with parliamentarians
Parliamentarians play a crucial role in shaping energy and environmental policy. Their political leadership and initiative are needed now more than ever. To do this effectively, they need concise information and clearly articulated policy arguments and recommendations.
Targeted information on renewables, combined with insights and experience drawn from countries around the world, allows them to make informed decisions on draft laws and budgets, and to formulate policies for a sustainable energy future. Key data and insights also help to bolster public support and build consensus on renewable energy deployment.
Parliamentarians are well placed to raise awareness, both among their constituents and in the broader public sphere. Often, they are among the first to hear local concerns that need to be addressed to make specific policies or projects viable. Parliamentarians are therefore essential for gathering the necessary support from communities to validate climate policies. IRENA recognises the power and authority of parliamentarians to transform their domestic legislation as they seek to tackle climate change.
By providing parliamentarians with evidence-based data and interpretation, IRENA helps them to amplify their influence, whether in the executive branch, among regional and local stakeholders, or in the private sector and civil society. Dialogue with parliamentarians around the world, meanwhile, generates further insights. By joining forces, parliamentarians worldwide can foster innovative solutions to advance the energy transformation, encouraging investors, governments and legislators to work together to implement the use of renewable energy. This requires robust and flexible policy frameworks and regulation to leverage public–private partnerships.
IRENA continues to expand its engagement with members of parliament and other legislators globally, disseminating relevant and up-to-date information, establishing an active network of renewable energy champions, and facilitating exchanges of information and best practices.
At the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, held in March 2018, 178 parliaments unanimously adopted a resolution to promote the uptake of renewable energy, entitled “Engaging the private sector in implementing the SDGs, especially on renewable energy”.
Legislator's point of view
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"Legislators have the opportunity to create the stable environment to crowd in the amount of investments and the technologies we need to deploy" - Hon. Kandeh Yumkella, Member of Parliament, Sierra Leone
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"The post-COVID-19 will bring a new generation of challenges at all levels and a new energy paradigm. The pandemic demonstrated the need to prioritise an energy transition powered by renewable energy on the global agenda, as it can play a key role in the economic recovery plans" - Hon. Ibtissame Azzaoui, Member of Parliament, Morocco
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“We need to translate SDG7 targets into economic drivers that can be felt in household budgets.” – Hon. Willem-Frederik Schiltz, Member of the Flemish Parliament, Belgium
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“Women are the main actors in the national economy… strongly involved in processing local products.” – Hon. Adji Diarra Mergane, Member of the Senate, Senegal
IRENA Parliamentary Network
To facilitate communication and interaction between parliamentarians around the world, IRENA has launched the IRENA Parliamentary Network Facebook Group. This group acts as a platform for all parliamentarians working on energy-related issues, enabling them to exchange information and discuss developments in the field. It is also the principal IRENA tool for sharing information with legislators, particularly on research, events and activities. The IRENA Parliamentary Network Facebook Group is a closed group, with invitation-only membership. Members of parliament and other legislators interested in joining the IRENA Parliamentary Network can contact us by following this link.
