The world’s most influential advocates for renewable energy gathered today 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 131 countries and 57 organisations, and include 64 ministers and other high-level officials. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will join the delegates tomorrow 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.
“This gathering today is a clear indication that renewable energy plays a leading role in sustainable development,” said Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, President of the First IRENA Assembly and UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, who officially opened the event by handing over the presidency for the Second Assembly to Mr. Salvador Namburette, Minister of Energy for Mozambique.
“Interest in this Assembly shows that renewable energy has moved from the margins to centre stage of global debate,” said Mr Namburette. “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.”
Highlights of the two-day Assembly will be 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 will 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 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 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.
