In a world so rich in innovation and technology, it is easy to forget just how important people are to progress and development.

Inefficient applications of biomass must be replaced by modern and clean energy solutions, since they harm people’s health, damage the environment and reduce social well-being.

Outdated perceptions of the costs of clean energy remain a major barrier to the energy transition. Despite the dramatic fall in prices across these technologies, the dialogue surrounding “cheap” fossil fuels and “expensive” renewable energy endures, and must be changed.

Australian residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems now have some of the lowest costs in the world, encouraging households to invest in rooftop solar PV at a time of rising energy prices.

Europe has vast renewables potential which can supply the bulk of its energy needs in a fully decarbonised energy system.

The energy transition presents both challenges and remarkable opportunities. Through international collaboration, innovative governance, and investments in exploration, recycling, and technology, we can ensure the benefits of the clean energy transition are shared globally.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is uniquely positioned to steward joint effort in global commitments to sustainable development, through universal energy access and a just energy transition with fellow custodian agencies: the International Energy Agency, United Nations Statistics Division, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization.

The Global Network of Long-term Energy Scenarios (LTES) provides sustainable support through inclusive partnerships and collective wisdom and fosters collaboration across all regions, North-to-North, North-to-South, South-to-South, and South-to-North, bringing together champions of energy planning to share expertise, address common challenges, and strengthen their planning processes.

Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General & Nardos Bekele-Thomas, AUDA-NEPAD CEO, discuss how ensuring adequate investment and infrastructure development to support renewables is crucial to meet Africa's power needs.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is redefining its role within an evolving energy landscape, transitioning to a renewables-based energy system offers a pathway to simultaneously meet growing energy demand, promote economic growth, maximise socio-economic benefits, and achieve decarbonisation objectives.

Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa organised by the International Energy Agency raised the need to track clean cooking finance reinforces the importance that the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) sees in the workstream.

International standards help to align expectations between producers and consumers in different countries for green hydrogen and its derivative commodities in the global energy, and the use of and adherence to standards can also de-risk investments by enhancing the credibility of project plans.

The Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA), launched by President Ruto of Kenya ahead of COP28, aims to support Africa’s clean energy agenda and bring this ambitious vision to life.

Drawing from diverse experiences in the renewable energy sector, including key insights from IRENA's Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform, this article elucidates what makes a project appealing to investors.

By utilising the global stage through international frameworks like the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway for instance, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are exemplifying leadership in sustainable development and climate action.

Here is why raising the climate ambitions expressed in the NDCs today is a smart move, both for the economies and climate targets.

Green hydrogen has received increasing attention across the energy sector in recent years, given its capability to decarbonise ‘hard to abate’ sectors and provide seasonal storage for power grids rich in variable renewable energy.

The Paris agreement sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. . Today, more and more countries are aiming for net zero emissions by mid-century.

Electromobility has a major role to play in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. IRENA’s transformation pathway estimates that 350 million electric vehicles (EVs) will be needed by 2030, kickstarting developments in the industry and influencing share values as manufacturers, suppliers and investors move to capitalise on the energy transition.

Africa desperately needs electricity for its socio-economic development. Over the last 25 years, demand has grown at an annual average of 3.3%. By 2040, total demand is expected to triple to approximately 1600 TWh.

The Paris agreement sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. . Today, more and more countries are aiming for net zero emissions by mid-century.

IRENA and Enel foundation strength their partnership on the occasion of COP26 to accurately measure reserves, resources and demand impacts, accounting for innovation and circularity from design to re-use and recycle. Supply risks can be managed properly and IRENA convening power and technical expertise will help foster international governance for materials.

As countries around the world shape their plans to build back better in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they have a chance to create significant private sector business opportunities by accelerating the global energy transition.

A message to the G20 from Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA

The exposure of infrastructure such as wind turbines, solar panels, electricity grids and other renewable energy generators to the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events driven by climate change, highlights the urgent need to make renewables-based power systems more climate resilient.