Call to action opens IRENA Second Assembly

The world’s most influential advocates for renewable energy gathered yesterday in Abu Dhabi, UAE for the International Renewable Energy Agency’s Second Assembly, where they were told that they must develop a new type of organisation for a new world.

“We must be lean, nimble and competent,” said IRENA’s Director-General Adnan Z. Amin in his opening address. “We must bring all actors to the table; we must provide the knowledge base to support action globally. Above all, we must be transparent and effective.”

The IRENA Assembly has attracted more than 800 delegates and speakers. They represent 133 countries and 57 organisations, and include 64 ministers and other high-level officials. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will join the delegates today to make a special address on the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) before officially inaugurating this initiative on the following day at the World Future Energy Summit, which follows the IRENA Assembly.

Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, President of the First IRENA Assembly, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, officially opened the event.

He began by welcoming all the delegates to Abu Dhabi, the home of IRENA, and announced the election of new Vice-Presidents among various procedural issues. Dr. Al Jaber, who will now take up his role as Head of the UAE IRENA delegation, then announced the appointment of the incoming President of the Second Assembly, Mr. Salvador Namburete, Minister of Energy for Mozambique,

Mr Namburete said: “Interest in this Assembly shows that renewable energy has moved from the margins to centre stage of global debate. I salute the IRENA Secretariat for having catalysed this change in a relatively short period of time and laying the foundation for taking IRENA to even greater heights.”

Mr. Amin spoke about the momentous year that 2011 was for the world and the impact that this had globally on levels of interest and commitment to renewable energy. The year of 2011 was also a year of transition for IRENA, as the world’s newest international intergovernmental organisation became fully operational. “As the organisation evolves and matures, and we better understand the needs of those we work with, our support is becoming more systematic and institutionalised.” 

The Assembly was also addressed by Mr. Sha Zukang, UN Under-Secretary General for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) who emphasised the role of IRENA in developing the use of renewable energy across the world.

Highlights of the two-day Assembly include the interactive Ministerial Roundtables, one held to discuss cooperation with the private sector to increase the deployment of renewable energy, and the other focusing on policy issues related to IRENA’s medium-term strategy. Other activities include the High-Level Group sessions, and technical meetings on the Global Solar and Wind Atlas, and on the competitiveness of renewable power generation. The main Assembly events were preceded by a special IRENA Pacific Leaders Meeting.

“Our First Assembly allowed us to successfully set initial objectives, create structure and consolidate capacity” added Mr. Amin, who also serves as a special adviser to the SG’s High Level group on SE4ALL and will also speak at WFES. “These two days will focus much more on action – in particular the implementation of our 2012 Work Programme.”

Many of the Assembly delegates will also attend the 2012 WFES in Abu Dhabi where IRENA and its partners will host an information and discussion booth, joining more than 150 eminent speakers, 650 exhibiting companies and 20 national pavilions under an underlying theme of Powering Sustainable Innovation.