Abu Dhabi: At the first summit organised by Irena (International Renewable Energy Agency) at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the UAE government cemented its support to the agency in furthering its goals.
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: "The UAE is committed to providing full support to Irena to enable it to deliver its mission of securing support for renewable energy applications, assist countries to benefit from sustainable development and transfer and share expertise in technology and knowledge".
He was speaking at the Preparatory Commission for Irena, where the agency's 139 signatory nations as well as several non-member nations had gathered.
The message the UAE wants to convey, being a major oil producer and host of Irena, is that "we can't rely on the energy of the past to make prosperity in the future", he said.
‘'We all know that we should pursue the search for clean energy solutions and implement energy efficiency measures to meet future demands."
Challenges
In view of current challenges posed by the climate change phenomenon and reality of conventional energy industry, he said that "it is important to mobilise international efforts for the sake of bolstering the world character of Irena and empowering it to deliver its aspired mission."
Renewable energy is touted as a key solution to the challenges facing the future of energy in the world, including global warming, natural resource depletion, population growth, increased energy demand, rising energy prices and the inequitable distribution of energy sources.
The fact that 139 nations have joined the agency reflects the true international commitment to adopt renewable energy in a broader sense in both developed and developing countries alike, he said.
"Today the world has an international agency that is fully dedicated to diversifying the use of renewable energy... an international agency that takes care of renewable energy and seeks to deliver support to countries of the world for paving the way to sustainable use of renewable energy."
Shaikh Abdullah, who led the unprecedented diplomatic efforts and lobbying to garner the support of countries ahead of the voting, paid tribute to all those that supported the UAE's efforts to host the agency.
Irena's mission is to speed up and scale up the use of renewable energy across the world. The third session of the preparatory commission marks the transition of Irena from its founding phase its active phase.
The Preparatory Commission acts as the main decision-making body until the entry into force of the statute after 25 ratifications. The current number of ratifications is nine.
During the meeting, members decided on the projects Irena will be focusing on this year by voting on the allocation of the agency's $15 million (Dh55.05 million) budget.
Ratification: Call to speed up process
Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, urged the Irena member states to complete the ratification process in order to bring Irena into being.
"The UAE remains committed to using its unique geographic, political, and economic position to not only encourage the dynamic involvement of the developing world in the quest for renewable energy, but to also effectively contribute to the ongoing North-South dialogue on a wide range of developmental issues," he said while addressing the meeting.
He said that in less than 12 months, Irena's membership has seen remarkable progress as it increased from 75 to 139.
"This reflects the whole-hearted global endorsement of Irena's core aspiration to be the driving force behind a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy around the world."
The minister underscored the importance of collective, continued and consensus-based contribution in making Irena a success.
He also pledged extensive campaigns in all international forums and bilateral discussions for more member states to join the agency.
Meanwhile, Hélèn Pelosse, the Interim Director-General of Irena, lauded Masdar's support in establishing the body. She said out that Masdar Institute of Science and Technology offered 20 scholarships to Irena to support and establish its technical and administrative cadres.
