International Renewable Energy Agency

The International Renewable Energy Agency (English: International Renewable Energy Agency; Abbreviation: IRENA; unofficially sometimes translated as International Renewable Energy Agency ) is an international NGO with the aim of promoting comprehensive and sustainable use of renewable energies in the world. Its headquarters will be in the future eco-city of Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates.

Since July 2013, 118 States and the European Union Member of IRENA. In addition, 40 states have applied for membership. The IRENA Statute entered into force on 8 July 2010, and had four weeks after the 25th ratification occurred.

Since April 3, 2011, the Kenyan Adnan Z. Amin is Director-General of IRENA. Amin had previously been a few months acting as interim director after his predecessor Hélène Pelosse had resigned unexpectedly in office after not even half years.

Establishment and activities

IRENA was founded on 26 January 2009 with the signing of the statutes by 75 States in Bonn. At the first meeting of the Preparatory Commission ( Preparatory Commission ), the temporary committee, is embodied by the IRENA up to the 25th ratification of the Articles of Association, the signatory on the rules and the selection of the interim Director General and the seat of IRENA agreed. In addition, members were invited to submit up to 30 April 2009 nominations and applications for the seat and the Director-General. At the second meeting of the Preparatory Commission on June 29 and 30, 2009 in Egypt ( Sharm El Sheikh ) was jointly decided on the seat and the Director-General, after which the seat of IRENA in Abu Dhabi will be in Bonn is the seat of an innovation and technology center established while in Vienna a connection and contact the office to the UN in the field of energy and other international institutions created. Until then, a seat, a general manager and have been called a management committee to which is to prepare the second meeting content. Other items on the agenda for Egypt include the adoption of a work program, the budget and the financial and staff regulations of IRENA, which will have 2009 and 2010 application for the transitional period in the years.

Three years after the founding of the organization is also due to the rapid growth in members ride. In various analyzes and papers IRENA has compiled comprehensive data on the global expansion of renewable energies. In addition to the overview of the cost situation of renewable energy in 2012, especially the Global Atlas is significant, which is supplemented and expanded in the coming years. This provides information for investors about the potential of renewable energy in different countries. Also there is already a strategy on Capacity Buildung, ie Providing information, education and training on renewable energy.

The information IRENA gaining more and more importance because the IRENA is now worn by 160 nations and in contrast to the International Energy Agency ( IEA) in Paris, not only represents the interests of the fossil- hungry industrialized countries, but also a mouthpiece for the energy interests of many representing developing and emerging countries. The IEA is worn as OECD organization only from 28 countries.

History

The first proposal for an International Renewable Energy Agency was made ​​in 1980 in the North -South Commission report chaired by Willy Brandt. Their creation since been subject to the efforts of interest groups, in particular of Euro Solar, the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE ) and the World Wind Energy Association, which campaigned since 2003 for IRENA. The Austrian government under Chancellor Franz Vranitzky struck in 1990, the UN General Assembly before such an agency.

In preparation for its foundation a preparatory conference was held in April 2008 in Berlin at the invitation of the German government and the participation of representatives from 54 countries. The deceased in October 2010, German politician Hermann Scheer had this big part in the success of the formation of IRENA. In the final preparatory conference establishing the organization of 51 countries have on 23 and 24 October 2008 Madrid agreed on the statutes of this new global organization.

The implementation of the entire preparation process was carried out by the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Ministry of Development, in close cooperation with the Foreign Office.

Motives

Reasons for the Establishment of the Organization of the Federal Government be called on 10 April 2008 in a policy paper:

A forecasted increase in world population by 2050 to about 9.2 billion people would result in further economic growth and industrialization in different countries mean that the global demand for energy rises sharply. Non-renewable energy sources would thus exhausted even faster.

Fossil fuels and nuclear power would also be more difficult to use, it would be expected with rising costs. This would evidenced by the development of oil prices in 2007 and 2008. Result of these price increases would be a negative impact on the balance of payments of " low-income economies ".

The global warming is to be limited to two degrees, this " greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2050 by at least 50 % " are to be reduced. This should be mitigated by these climate change -related economic losses. In this connection reference is made to the Stern Report, according to which these damages could amount to annually up to 20% of global gross domestic product.

The fourth reason, the fact is mentioned that over 1.6 billion people have no access to electricity, as their integration into existing energy networks would be uneconomical. The fossil fuels used to replace it would also " often harmful consequences." The paper implies at this point that the establishment of IRENA could contribute to the solution of this problem.

Objectives

According to its statutes it is IRENA's goal as the "driving force " to promote widespread and increased use and sustainable use of renewable energies worldwide.

IRENA aims to developed and developing countries, providing practical advice and support to assist in the adaptation of the regulatory framework and to help build skills. The Agency will improve access to the relevant information, such as to reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, best-practice presentations, effective financial mechanisms and state of technical know -how.

IRENA will develop comprehensive solutions that include all forms of renewable energy and allow for different policy approaches at local, regional and national level. Here, IRENA will note the specific environmental, economic and socio- cultural conditions. In addition, IRENA will work closely with organizations and networks that are already active in the field of renewable energy work together. Even players in the energy industry, universities, public institutions and civil society should be involved in the work.