The UAE will take a leading role in discussions on the global energy transition at the 10th International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly between 10 – 12 January in Abu Dhabi, at the start of the 13th Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2020).
The UAE delegation to the Assembly will be led by His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and will comprise Her Excellency Dr Nawal Al-Hosany, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to IRENA, and other high-profile officials from concerned entities.
An array of sessions, ministerial roundtables and panels will cover the latest and emerging developments across the technology, policy-making, and green finance sectors to advance the global dialogue on how to move towards a cleaner energy mix, tackle climate change and cut carbon emissions. The discussions held over the two days of the Assembly will focus on empowering youth and driving gender equality in the renewable energy sector while shaping the IRENA agenda and its priorities for the next year.
Ahead of the anniversary assembly this year, the UAE had called on IRENA representatives, delegates and the general public to share their success stories, motivations and dreams of a future powered by clean, renewable energy sources in the #Act4Impact digital campaign led by the UAE Mission to IRENA – part of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE).
The widespread response to the UAE Mission’s campaign, with messages of support and endorsement coming from all corners of the globe, has shown the UAE once again taking the lead in the clean energy dialogue, providing a platform for international players to come together and push the industry forward apace.
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “In the past decade, IRENA has played an instrumental role in the decarbonization efforts of its members through expediting their transition to renewables. As host and key supporter of the Agency, the UAE is proud of IRENA’s achievements.
“In line with IRENA’s mandate, the UAE has driven the deployment of renewable solutions worldwide, particularly in developing countries, through engaging in global investments valued at over US$14 billion in renewable energy.”
He added: “Through hosting the annual IRENA Assembly, which sets the tone for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the UAE has become an incubator for collective action on sustainability, energy transition, and leveraging innovation for the greater good.”
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi noted that this year’s Assembly is set to host a wide range of high-level sessions, from gender equality in the renewables industry, through to harnessing hydrogen to decarbonize the economy, and increasing youth participation.
Her Excellency Dr Nawal Al-Hosany said: “We have come a long way in increasing global renewable energy capacity, but now is not the time to rest on our laurels. We must forge ahead with a renewables shift and collectively act for impact.”
She added: “With the goals and ambitions of IRENA and the UAE closely aligned, we have established a productive working relationship that has actively contributed to greater female representation, innovation and flexible policy-making in the UAE’s rapidly-evolving renewable energy sector.”
The winning projects for the seventh funding cycle of the IRENA/Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) Project Facility will be announced at the 2020 IRENA Assembly. The Project Facility has delivered on the UAE pledge to commit US$350 million towards renewable energy projects recommended by IRENA that have the power to positively impact the global energy sector.
This year’s Assembly will host a Youth Forum for the first time, which will be opened with remarks from His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi. With young people forming a key pillar of the UAE’s ambitious Energy Strategy 2050, the Forum will explore the ways in which future generations must take up the fight against climate change, embrace clean energy sources and face the future with a spirit of innovation.
IRENA will launch a new report – ‘Wind Energy: A Gender Perspective’ at a ‘Women in Renewable Energy’ evening event on 10 January, co-hosted by the UAE Mission to IRENA. The report draws on the findings of a survey jointly conducted by IRENA, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) and highlights how the global wind energy industry is yet to achieve meaningful gender equality.
The two days of the IRENA Assembly will officially kick-start the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), where heads of state, ministers, high-level delegates and experts meet to accelerate the world’s sustainability efforts. From 11 to 18 January 2020, ADSW will include the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, the Future Sustainability Summit, the WFES Exhibition and Forums, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, and the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony.
And in recognition of the important roles the young generation and women play in driving the sustainability agenda, ADSW will feature dedicated platforms across the week through the Youth 4 Sustainability Hub, the Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX), WiSER (Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy) Forum, and The Festival at Masdar City.
