The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) convened Members in Abu
Dhabi for its twenty-fifth council meeting to outline actionable steps to accelerate a
just and inclusive energy transition, six months out from the 28 th Climate Change
Conference (COP28), which will be hosted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
this year.
At the opening of the twenty-fifth Council Meeting, Mr. Tumasie Blair, Deputy
Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations was
elected Chair of the Council. The biannual, two-day meeting, with Antigua and
Barbuda serving as Chair, and the United States of America as Vice-Chair,
showcases how each Member is working to increase global renewable energy
capacity, in the aftermath of ongoing energy and geo-political crises.
Speaking ahead of the council meeting, IRENA Director-General Francesco La
Camera said: “Collaboration across the international community has never been
more important. The twenty-fifth IRENA Council meeting offers a welcome
opportunity for the Agency to assess how we are progressing, and to identify the
actions needed to ensure we remain agile and responsive to the needs of our
Members.”
For his part, Deputy Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the
United Nations and IRENA Council Chair Mr. Tumasie Blair, said: "Global events
in recent times have worsened the challenges faced by many nations, including
small island developing states like Antigua and Barbuda. As we quickly approach
COP28, the IRENA governing body meetings like this Council present us with an
opportunity to assess and realign our course of action, to ensure that we remain
agile in the face of the monumental climate challenge ahead."
“The Council must present tailored initiatives for the economies of SIDS, for
whom the climate crisis presents a looming existential threat. We have an
opportunity to make this possible, as we are one year away from the Fourth UN
International Conference on SIDS that will be hosted in Antigua and Barbuda in
2024,” Blaire further added.
This year’s Council meeting delves into the pressing issues at the top of the climate
and sustainable development agenda, including the need to triple renewable energy
capacity by 2030, mobilise energy transition finance and enhance mitigation and
adaptation efforts.
The twenty-fifth Council meeting also examines the global status of geothermal
energy, critical materials, and the preliminary findings of IRENA's preview of the
World Energy Transitions Outlook (WETO) 2023. The report calls for urgent
energy infrastructure reforms to support the rapid scale-up of renewable energy
deployment globally.
IRENA recently signed an agreement with Masdar, a renewable energy company
based in Abu Dhabi, to develop a roadmap for COP28, outlining strategies to triple
renewable energy capacity by 2030.
