Breakthrough

"IRENA is reality - on 26 January 2009, 75 countries signed the statute in Bonn"

Founding Conference

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) truly came into being on 26 January 2009 at the Founding Conference of IRENA in Bonn. More than 120 government delegations from across the world attended the conference and a total of 75 nations, a broad cross-section of developing and industrialised countries, signed the Agency’s Statute. Many others expressed their strong commitment to IRENA’s goals and their intention to join in the near future. The conference was chaired by Germany's Federal Environment Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, and Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. As Denmark and Spain from the outset had actively supported the preparation together with Germany, the respective Ministers, Connie Hedegaard (Danish Minister for Climate and Energy) and Miguel Sebastián Gascón (Spanish Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism) were elected Vice-Chairs. (Read more here)