Renewable energy projects gain a boost with the emergence of a specialised international agency to champion them, writes Stuart Reigeluth* After almost exactly a year, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) now comprises 142 countries. The target is to include every country in the world. IRENA has doubled in size since being established with the signing of its founding treaty at the first preparatory commission meeting in Bonn, Germany, on 26 January 2009. At the second preparatory commission meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, last June, Abu Dhabi won the headquarters over three European cities -- Vienna, Copenhagen and Bonn -- and was appointed the first interim director-general. Pelosse has a long career in diplomacy, having worked in the French Ministry for Ecology, Energy and Sustainable Development; as trade and financial advisor to the French Prime Minister's Office; as advisor to the German chancellor, and as a member of the steering committee of the German presidency, where she helped advance EU goals for energy efficiency, renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions. The third preparatory commission meeting of IRENA on 16-17 January 2010 took place at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and marked a point of no return for the United Arab Emirates. The headquarters will be in Masdar City -- the first zero-waste, zero-carbon city powered entirely by renewable energy -- which is currently under construction and will house the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) by next September. The resounding international support for IRENA at the third preparatory meeting was a "true reflection of the world's commitment to renewable energy", according to Masdar CEO and chairman of the meeting, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber. During the meeting, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Vincent and Grenada, and South Africa signed the IRENA statute. Equally important, Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil and Mexico have all shown growing interest to join. Pelosse said the novelty of IRENA is that it comprises both oil producing and importing countries, which previously were largely grouped in either the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) or the International Energy Agency (IEA). She said the value-added of IRENA is that the agency is about consensus and the future. Pelosse is positive and confident that the 25 ratifications of the treaty will come through soon, which after being processed via Berlin will give her the green light a month later to start creating the IRENA Council comprising 21 member states. So far, eight countries have ratified the treaty and eight others are doing so. All IRENA member states must be UN member states as well, and Pelosse has ensured that the functioning of this new agency abides entirely by UN standards. The target for IRENA, says Pelosse, is "to be part of the UN family" and "to assist its members in advancing renewables in their own national policies and programmes". A humble $13.7 million was adopted as IRENA's annual budget for 2010 at the third preparatory commission. During the contender period for its headquarters, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) pledged $50 million for initial projects, which largely revolve around technology transfer from developed to developing countries. Pelosse said that, "diplomatic progress was underway" and that working groups would be created to agree upon the criteria of the agency for project approval. Pelosse mentioned one type of project that she helped move along regarding photovoltaic (PV) sets directed to Bangladesh. Supported by various foundations, a German lab and Grameen Bank, the PV sets could be provided 50 per cent cheaper by July 2010. Implemented by local partners, in this case Grameen Shakti, such smaller-scale micro- financing projects have the potential to create more green jobs and to instil competition between social entrepreneurs, thus spurring longer-term development. More results for IRENA are also being developed; a process is being set up for project proposals to apply appropriately for funding. These projects would go through contests and be approved by a jury. IRENA is trying to be entirely accessible, inclusive and transparent. As agreed, for example, after six long months of negotiations, the Bonn office for "innovation and technology" will report to the Abu Dhabi headquarters to maintain the highest degree of coherence possible amongst member states. In the immediate aftermath of the disappointing 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the growing consolidation of IRENA is a beacon of positive energy. IRENA will hopefully get a boost from coinciding with the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi this week. Furthermore, it has been recommended that to assist this nascent agency in achieving its goals, a portion of the $100 billion pledged in the last-minute Copenhagen Accord could be directed to IRENA. A tenth of that total would be more than sufficient to help IRENA coordinate the important transfer of technology to developing countries. Regardless of how ideal that would be, not to say necessary, the prices of renewables will inevitably go down and IRENA will keep on growing until every country around the world is onboard. * The writer is editor of Revolve (www.revolve- magazine.com).
