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The thirty-second Council meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) starts today. Gathering in Abu Dhabi from 14 to 16 October, over 300 government representatives and delegates to IRENA’s biannual decision-making body will review the Agency’s work and discuss collective priorities for the next phase of the global energy transition.

Accelerating electrification powered by renewables must be a priority for the decade to 2035.

A dedicated Global High-Level Forum on Energy Transition co-chaired by Joel Santos, Minister of Energy and Mines of the Dominican Republic and current President of the IRENA Assembly as well as IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera provided the platform for the launch of PARLAC initiative in Santo Domingo.

With SIDS now exceeding their 10 GW target, IRENA will champion the small islands agenda at Pre-COP31 through the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (LHI) and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), advancing affordable finance, bankable projects and offshore renewables in the Pacific.

NewGen 2026 sees the participation of an inspiring group of 19 startups, nine of them women-led, tackling urgent energy and climate challenges across emerging markets, with four selected as winners of the IRENA Rising Stars Youth Award 2026.

Electrification with renewables could lift electricity to 35% of final energy use by 2035, backed by stronger grids, more investment and joined-up policy.

The Global Renewables Alliance hosts the Global Renewables Summit during Climate Week NYC to bring together IRENA and partners, advancing the tripling of renewables and accelerating electrification toward the COP31 Presidency's goal of 35% electrification by 2035.

With a total 5.15 terawatts (TW) of renewable power capacity installed at the end of 2025, the world can still close in on the gap to meet the globally agreed renewable energy goal but must move much faster.