IRENA at the 79th United Nations General Assembly / Climate Week NYC

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Every year, the International Renewable Energy (IRENA) is highly engaged in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to strengthen partnerships at the international level and advance actions to accelerate the global energy transitions. This includes participation at the Climate Week NYC, which takes place each year in partnership with UNGA and is run in coordination with the UN and the City of New York.

This year, on the margin of the 79th UNGA, with the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) and Bloomberg Philanthropies, IRENA partners with the Global Renewables Summit, the first-ever high-level public-private summit to discuss the progress, opportunities, and challenges of tripling renewable energy globally by 2030. The Summit is also organised in partnership with the governments of Barbados and Kenya, the European Commission, the COP28 and COP29 Presidencies, the International Energy Agency, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University – SIPA.

New York, NY, USA
16:00 – 18:00 EST / 0:00 – 2:00 GST

UNEZA – Accelerating Large Grid Infrastructure Projects, Highlights for policy makers
Hosted by Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (UNEZA) and IRENA, this event features a roundtable discussion on accelerating large grid infrastructure projects to support the global energy transition and meet climate goals. It will explore the critical role of modernising grids for renewable integration, addressing technical, regulatory, and financial barriers, and leveraging digital tools. The event will also present findings from UNEZA’s draft report, “Accelerating Large Grid Infrastructure Projects, Highlights for policy makers,” offering insights and policy recommendations for advancing the 2030 Tripling Renewables objective.
16:00 – 17:30 EST / 0:00 – 1:30 GST

Roundtable 4: Sharing Benefits of an Inclusive Renewable Energy Transition
Active and inclusive engagement in the energy transition is critical to ensure that benefits are equitably distributed and that the process leaves no one behind. Going forward, input from civil society, especially youth, marginalised communities, and Indigenous People as rights holders is key, and must be included in the design of siting and permitting processes, ownership of renewable assets, workforce training and other policies. This roundtable will provide a platform for civil society leaders to engage with developers and government representatives and help foster innovative solutions on this agenda. This event, co-organized by IRENA and the ILO, will focus on the importance of inclusive engagement in the energy transition to ensure equitable distribution of benefits and that no one is left behind.
Event by invitation only.
New York, NY, USA
8:00 – 10:00 EST / 16:00 – 18:00 GST
GOWA High-Level Roundtable: Unlocking Offshore Wind Investment - Risk Mitigation Strategies for Emerging and Developed Markets
This roundtable, organized by the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), will advance discussions on overcoming financial and risk-mitigation challenges within the offshore wind sector. High-level speakers from governments, private sector and financial institutions will discuss actionable strategies and best practices to address market-specific hurdles and create a more attractive investment landscape for offshore wind. The roundtable will also address the impact of policy and regulatory frameworks on offshore wind financing and the importance of robust public-private partnerships to accelerate offshore wind deployment.
Event by invitation only.
11:30 – 12:30 EST / 19:30 – 20:30 GST
Global Renewables Summit 2024: High-level Plenary
IRENA Director-General will speak as a panellist at this high-level plenary session. The session will underscore the critical role of public-private partnerships in accelerating the deployment of renewable energy and will present findings on finance flows supporting the energy transition. As part of the Global Renewables Summit, this session aligns with the outcomes of COP28’s Global Stocktake, which calls for tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
Event by invitation only.
16:15 – 17:30 EST / 00:15 – 01:45 GST
Global Renewables Summit 2024: Roundtable 6 on Strengthening Resilient and Diverse Supply Chains for Renewable Energy
This roundtable, co-organised by IRENA, UNEZA and World Trade Organization (WTO), will explore the crucial role of resilient supply chains in advancing the global energy transition. Speakers from government, private sector, and civil society will discuss strategies for overcoming supply chain bottlenecks, securing critical minerals, and scaling manufacturing. The event will also address innovative policies and business models to support clean energy technology deployment and achieve the global tripling renewables target, delivering actionable recommendations to strengthen supply chains and drive investment.
Event by invitation only.
New York, NY, USA
12:00 – 14:00 EST / 20:00 – 22:00 GST
AFID: Decarbonizing Hard-to Abate Sectors with Renewables: Accelerating Net-Zero Ambitions within the Sustainability Summit
“Decarbonization of the future”
As part of the Sustainability Summit “Decarbonizing the Future” during Climate Week NYC, IRENA and the Alliance for Industry Decarbonization (AFID), will co-organise a side event that discusses decarbonisation efforts for hard-to-abate sectors like transport, shipping, and heavy industry. The panel will explore strategies for accelerating renewable energy adoption, enhancing energy efficiency, and overcoming barriers, emphasizing cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and supportive policies to achieve global net-zero ambitions.
New York (Location TBC)
12:15 – 14:00 EST / 20:15 – 22:00 GST
Economist Impact, Capitalising on clean energy: navigating investment opportunities and challenges
IRENA Director-General will take part in this roundtable, hosted by Economist Impact, to explore the rising demand for clean energy investments amid global decarbonisation efforts. Key themes include promising geographies, emerging technologies, and financial mechanisms to scale projects. The discussion will address barriers like inconsistent policies, technological challenges, and infrastructure constraints, featuring insights from investors, policymakers, and finance leaders.