2021 IRENA Legislators Forum – Parliamentary actions to scale up renewable investments: Renewable energy as an enabler of services

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) organised the sixth edition of the Legislators Forum that took place virtually on 13 January 2021 (15:00 to 18:00 Gulf Standard Time) at the sidelines of the Eleventh Session of the IRENA Assembly. The Forum convened parliamentary leaders from across the world to discuss global, regional and local agendas relating to a renewables-based energy transition and serves as a platform for substantive dialogue amongst legislators and renewable energy experts on the acceleration of the deployment of renewables.

Universal access to energy is a development imperative and energy is a catalyst and an enabler of development - societies need reliable, adequate and affordable energy services for their sustainable development. Decades of national and international efforts have yielded impressive gains in access to modern energy but a global energy transition, in line with international climate and development objectives, will require a massive re-allocation of capital toward renewables, with all available capital sources being activated. It is against this reality that the theme for the upcoming Legislators Forum will be “Parliamentary actions to scale up renewable investments: Renewable energy as an enabler of services.”

With increased attention being paid to service provision across countries during these challenging times, the 2021 virtual edition of the IRENA Legislators Forum explored short- and long-term actions that parliamentarians can take to promote the mobilisation and acceleration of investments in the renewable energy sector at the local and national level. Legislators also explored actions that can be taken to enable services that provide a range of benefits, including creating significant economic and employment opportunities, improving healthcare services, addressing climate change issues as well as food challenges and opportunities in the agriculture sector.

Beyond addressing the critical role that renewable energy can play in the sustainable recovery of countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, through the Legislators Forum, legislators also shared experiences on the various challenges and opportunities that exist in realising the renewable energy agenda and highlighted actionable steps that can ensure a smooth transition in their respective countries.

The 2021 IRENA Legislators Forum enabled parliamentarians, together with IRENA experts and keen representatives, to participate in in-depth discussions on the proposed topics and agreed to develop an outcome document that will offer suggestions on how parliamentary action can scale up investments and enable services to support societies’ development through an accelerated energy transition.

Key Documents (Agenda, Background Note, Presentations, and Publications)

Should you have any questions, please contact legislators@irena.org.