First meeting of the Policy and Strategy Committee of IRENA

International Renewable Energy Agency has a bright future ahead

The Policy and Strategy Committee that reports to the Council of the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency met on Monday and Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  This was the first meeting of this Committee.  Participants agreed that IRENA should consolidate early progress to become a renowned global centre of excellence and a “one stop shop” for renewable energy analysis and advice over the coming 5 years.

The topics for discussion were the focus of the coming one-year work programme and the longer strategic vision for the new Agency.  Digested conclusions from the two-day meeting were that IRENA should maximise its demonstrated ability to convene and mobilise stakeholders, collate best practices in renewable energy deployment and build upon early work on a renewable energy atlas (including potentials, policies, education and resources) to translate its activities into practical achievements.  This will help fulfil its role as an intergovernmental driver for alternative energy.  Its ability to leverage disparate players and build on existing work underway by others were highlighted.  Participants also agreed that the Agency should play an active role communicating and highlighting renewable energy news, analysis and reviews to member states, private sector organisations and the general public as part of a targeted awareness campaign. 

The UK Chair of the Committee, Mr Zitouni Ould-Dada, from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, was delighted with the progress made and thanked all participants for their active and enlightening contribution.  H.E. Datuk Loo Took Gee, the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, welcomed this meeting, saying, "It is vital that an international Agency mandated to promote renewable energy builds alliances around the world and as the Vice-Chair of the PSC, Malaysia was honoured to host the 1st PSC Meeting.   Malaysia is also aggressively promoting renewable energy and would be implementing its Renewable Energy law, together with the feed-in tariff mechanism, in December 2011, and we would be happy to share our initiatives and experiences with others in IRENA."

The meeting was attended by representatives from Angola, Australia, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, the Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay.  The meeting was Chaired by the United Kingdom and generously hosted by the Vice-Chair of the Committee, Malaysia.  The Agency's headquarters are in the United Arab Emirates, and the next formal Council meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi on 13-14 November 2011.