Irena ‘set to be a leading organisation in the world’
Agency marks five years since setting up in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI // The International Renewable Energy Agency is marking five years since its formation in the capital, with officials saying the organisation will become “one of the most important organisations in the world”.
It is already the fastest-growing agency in the world, in part a result of a shift in the energy sector, said Irena director general Adnan Amin.
“Technology costs of renewables have plummeted, investment is growing year over year and global capacity additions have skyrocketed,” he said.
One of the first member states to join the 147-country agency, Uruguay, said that Irena was key to future energy needs.
Uruguay’s ambassador to the UAE, Nelson Yemil Chaben, whose country now produces 95 per cent of its electricity from a clean energy mix of wind, solar and hydro power, said: “The future of Irena is that it will soon become one of the most important organisations in the world ... It’s not an exaggeration because the subject is crucial for humanity and the international community.”
However, countries heavily involved in fossil fuel industries, have criticised policies promoted by Irena, saying that sudden shifts to renewable energy could cost millions of jobs.
The agency countered the criticism by saying that doubling renewable energy output globally would lead to an increase of six million jobs in unrelated industries, and add 15 million jobs to the 9.2 million people working in green energy today. “We have witnessed Irena respond to the needs of its member states, as well as the changes in the energy sector,” said Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment. “Irena’s efforts made the world recognise renewable energy as an important tool in addressing climate change. We see a bright future for this young, ambitious organisation.”