Climate change and energy policy in the Arab region

Mr. Adnan Z. Amin participates in a Media dialogue around energy policy in the Arab region.

IRENA’s Interim Director-General was keynote speaker with H.E Klaus-Peter Brandes, Ambassador of Germany to Abu Dhabi at a Media dialogue around climate change and energy policy in the region.

Journalists from the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as regional experts in energy policy met in the UAE capital to discuss the emergency of energy transition.

“In the world, about 1.5 billion people still have no access to electricity. Up to one billion more have access to unreliable electricity networks “, Mr. Amin says. “At the global level, the energy system – supply, transformation, delivery and use- is the dominant contributor to climate change”, adds the Interim Director-General of IRENA.

The world economy is expected to double in size over the next twenty years. The world’s consumption of energy will also increase and have serious negative consequences, if energy supply, conversion and use continue to be inefficient.

“The international community must come together in a common effort to transform the global energy system over the coming decades”, insists Mr. Amin. “Renewable energy will be the catalyst and driver for such transformation and IRENA will position itself to provide the platform for international cooperation that is essential to this change”.

The transition is under way. In the world, one hundred countries already have targets for 2020 and beyond and 85 have policy instruments to develop renewable energy use. In the Middle East, Abu Dhabi aims to generate 7% of its electricity from renewables by 2020, Kuwait and Bahrain aim at 5%. This signals a growing commitment and positive perspective for the region.

IRENA’s regional experts were also keynote speakers at the first meeting of the European Union - Gulf Cooperation Council Clean Energy Network (http://www.eugcc-cleanergy.net/). This workshop was in Dubai from November 29th to December 1st.