ABU DHABI, The twenty-second Council meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will get underway in Abu Dhabi from tomorrow, Tuesday. The two-day meeting brings together high-level delegations from 97 countries to chart the Agency’s medium-term strategy until 2027, which paves the way for IRENA’s strategic objectives and priorities in the next five years.
With global momentum for the achievement of net zero economies reaching new heights in the lead up to COP26, the role of the energy transition in achieving climate and economic goals grows increasingly central. The IRENA Council will aim to further enhance cooperation and collaborative action on key elements of the global energy transition just days before global leaders gather at the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow.
“With COP26 on our doorstep, this is a critical moment in time that calls for all nations to make important choices about the future of our economies, and our wellbeing, for generations to come,” said IRENA Director General Francesco La Camera, “As the principal platform for energy transition cooperation, IRENA will respond by working to translate commitment into action and implementation. To achieve climate goals and keep the world on a climate-safe path towards 1.5 C by 2050, we need concrete action to accelerate the energy transition and scale up its pace. The Council will meet in this context.”
The Council meeting will be held in a hybrid setting (part in-person and part virtual configuration) with SHII Masahiro, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan as Chair. IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera will present IRENA’s progress report to the Council, highlighting the Agency’s work and activities in 2020 and 2021. The Director-General will also present the Agency’s Medium-term Strategy 2023-2027.
The Council, which is composed of 21 Members elected for a two-year term, serving on a rotating basis to ensure fair and equitable geographical distribution, will also hear reports from the co-facilitators of three recently concluded IRENA Collaborative Framework meetings on green hydrogen, just transition and renewables-based energy systems.
The latest Collaborative Framework on Just and Inclusive Energy Transition featured a high-level launch of a special edition of IRENA’s Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review, developed in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation. The report finds that 12 million people were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2020, underscoring the jobs potential of an ambitious climate strategy and calls for comprehensive policies in support of a just transition.
Source: Emirates News Agency