About IRENA
- Is an intergovernmental organisation mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.
- First international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialised and developing countries.
- Founded in 2009 and its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010.
- Headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
- IRENA is an official United Nations observer.
- Membership : 160 countries and EU.
- The statute to gain IRENA membership requires that a state be a member of the United Nations and to regional intergovernmental economic-integration organizations. States that gain membership to IRENA must uphold the organization’s statute to the best of its abilities.
- IRENA also seeks to cooperate with the UN and associated organisations like the United Nations University, UNESCO, the World Bank, GEF, UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, and WTO in the areas of education and training, financing, access to energy, potential studies and trade.
Aims of IRENA
- IRENA aims to become the main driving force in promoting a transition towards the use of renewable energy on a global scale.
- IRENA provides advice and support to governments on renewable energy policy, capacity building, and technology transfer. IRENA will also coordinate with existing renewable energy organizations, such as REN21.
- The agency will facilitate access to all relevant information including reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, best practices, effective financial mechanisms and state-of-the-art technological expertise.
Source: irena.org and LiveMint
