Abu Dhabi: More than 300 high-level government representatives from 96 countries gathered on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi to attend the 11th meeting of the Council of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
At the outset of the meeting, the council elected Kenred Dorsett, Minister of Environment and Housing of Bahamas as chair of the meeting, and Ethiopia as vice-chair.
Following the election of Dorsett, Irena’s director-general Adnan Z. Ameen presented a progress report on the Agency’s work.
“We are implementing our new work programme with determination and confidence that the current biennium holds great promise for accelerating the global uptake of renewable energy. We are proud of our achievements to date and energised by the unwavering support of our members.”
The Agency gathered member state representatives, international stakeholders and local leaders to celebrate its first five years as a fully-fledged intergovernmental organisation.
For the remainder of the council meeting, attendees will discuss cost reductions in solar and wind technologies, regional work to increase renewable energy deployment in Latin America and West Africa, and Irena’s road map to doubling the global share of renewables by 2030. They will also discuss initiatives to increase renewable energy on islands and the strategic future direction of the Agency’s work.
On Wednesday, Irena will launch the third edition of the Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review. This publication provides the only global analysis of jobs in the renewable energy sector, presenting the status of renewable energy employment, both by technology and in selected countries, over the past year.
