Members Login

IRENA in the News

ShowHide Quick Links

ADFD and Masdar to support Irena’s $1bn energy transition financing platform

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and Masdar have committed to supporting the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena)’s $1 billion Energy Transition Accelerator Financing platform, which aims to support new renewable energy projects in developing countries.

BP's $36 Billion Project Highlights Massive Green Hydrogen Hubs (Subscription)

BP’s acquisition of a stake and lead role in a $36 billion green hydrogen development in Western Australia is casting a spotlight on a slew of ambitious projects around the world that are promising to deliver massive amounts of the clean fuel. Here are some of the projects being proposed. The capacity figures for the two Australian and the Oman hubs are from the International Renewable Energy Agency, while the others are from the company’s themselves.

Plug Power Bets on Green-Hydrogen Production (Subscription)

Fuel-cell maker will invest roughly $315 million in a plant in Belgium as it steps up production of fuel made using renewable energy. Fossil fuels power most manufacturing of hydrogen today, which in turn is often used in oil-and-gas production and refining. Around 95% of the world’s hydrogen came from fossil fuels in 2019, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. But if hydrogen comes from renewable energy, it produces zero greenhouse-gas emissions.

733 million people across the globe don't have access to electricity. The pandemic made that worse (Subscription)

“International public financing for renewable energy needs to accelerate, especially in the poorest, most vulnerable countries,” said Francesco La Camera with the International Renewable Energy Agency. “We have failed to support those most in need. With only eight years left to achieve universal access to affordable and sustainable energy, we need radical actions to accelerate the increase of international public financial flows and distribute them in a more equitable manner.”

G7 urges Opec to boost output to cool oil market (Subscription)

The communique commits the G7 to a goal of “achieving predominantly decarbonised electricity sectors by 2035” and to “concrete and timely steps towards the goal of an eventual phaseout of domestic unabated coal power generation”. Francesco La Camera, head of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said the outcome was positive for the energy transition. “There is the phaseout of coal, and everyone is on board with this,” he said. “There is a clear sense of urgency.”

SEforALL Forum: How renewables can help bridge the energy access gap in Africa (Video)

Gauri Singh, Deputy Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency spoke to CNBC Africa the role of renewables in achieving energy access and progress made in Africa.

Swiss Re, UBS among founding buyers in carbon removal scheme (Subscription)

Insurance firm Swiss Re (SRENH.S) and banking giant UBS (UBSG.S) are among five founding buyers of credits from a scheme set up by a Swiss company to drive down the cost of taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The cost of solar PV modules for renewable solar power have fallen by around 90% since the end of 2009, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, as the technology and supply chains developed.

  • Date: 23 May 2022
  • |
  • Source: Reuters

The Green Hydrogen Race...Morocco prepares to produce the fuel of the future (Arabic)

In the midst of a broad global trend towards clean energy to reduce climate change, Morocco is looking to secure its place among the leading countries in the green hydrogen sector. Morocco ranks fourth among the list of countries nominated to become a major producer of green hydrogen by 2050, according to the classification of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

How subscription solar energy works, which makes electricity bills cheaper (Portuguese)

With the electricity bill soaring and the tariff flag triggered for most of 2021 due to the severe drought that hit the country last year. Last year, Brazil was the fourth country that grew the most in terms of photovoltaic solar energy production capacity, with 5.7 GW (gigawatts) added, behind only China, the USA and India, according to a survey by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

India could become carbon neutral before its 2070 goal, IRENA chief says (Subscription)

India's focus on decarbonising its steel sector and developing offshore wind power will help it become carbon neutral ahead of its promised goal of 2070, the director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency said. IRENA's Francesco La Camera told the Reuters Global Markets Forum late on Monday that India was "very serious" about meeting the challenges and was very interested in developing offshore wind power.

  • Date: 26 April 2022
  • |
  • Source: Reuters

Australia Begins Long Road to Retraining Thousands of Coal Workers for Clean Energy Roles (Subscription)

The sudden speed of the shift to clean power is forcing Australia, a global champion of coal and gas, to confront one of the energy industry's biggest challenges — how to transition millions of fossil fuel workers to new roles in wind and solar. Fossil fuel veterans are well positioned to prosper, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Staff on gas platforms typically have expertise suitable for offshore wind, while coal workers have been recruited into solar and oil reservoir engineers can use their knowhow for geothermal power.

The Sharpe Angle: Apollo's head of sustainable investing on financing the energy transition (Video)

Geopolitical tensions in Ukraine have had a massive impact on global energy supply chains and prices this year, reminding the world how reliant we are on fossil fuels and how far we are from a true shift toward clean energy. That shift will require $131 trillion in energy transition investments by 2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. To find out how all this capital will be deployed, Leslie Picker sat down with Apollo Global Management’s Olivia Wassenaar.

  • Date: 13 April 2022
  • |
  • Source: CNBC

Solar Overtakes Wind Energy For First Time In Global Rush For Renewables (Subscription)

Solar power has overtaken wind for the first time, in the race to develop renewable energy capacity around the globe. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), solar energy now accounts for 28% of the world’s renewable electricity generation capacity, just ahead of wind with 27%. This time last year, the two were evenly matched at 26% each.

  • Date: 12 April 2022
  • |
  • Source: Forbes

The Oil Pipeline East Africa Doesn’t Need (Subscription + Opinion)

This week, the panel of climate experts convened by the United Nations delivered a clear message: To stand a chance of curbing dangerous climate change, we can’t afford to build more fossil fuel infrastructure. We must also rapidly phase out the fossil fuels we’re using. Research presented by the International Renewable Energy Agency found that sub-Saharan Africa can meet almost 70 percent of its electricity needs from local renewable energy by 2030, which would provide up to two million additional green jobs in the region by 2050.

Here's the thing about that dire climate report: We have the tools we need to fix things

This week's United Nations climate report painted an ominous picture. If humanity doesn't act now to stop greenhouse gas emissions, the Earth could warm as much as 3 degrees Celsius. At those temperatures, major cities will be underwater, unprecedented heatwaves will define summers, terrifying storms will become more frequent and millions of plant and animal species will go extinct, UN leadership warned. Utility-scale solar arrays are now cheaper than the most competitive fossil fuel options and on the way to significantly undercutting them, according to the inter-governmental International Renewable Energy Agency.

Germany: Deal on radio beacons makes space for wind turbines

The German government said Tuesday it has resolved a long-running spat that will allow the construction of more than 1,000 onshore wind turbines, boosting efforts to expand the use of renewable energy. The economy and transport ministries said in a joint statement that a deal has been struck to amend safety rules for weather radars and ground-based radio beacons for aircraft navigation.Wind turbines produce power during sundown in Emlichheim, Germany, Friday, March 18, 2022. The head of the International Renewable Energy Agency says "radical action" is needed to ensure global warming doesn't pass dangerous thresholds, warning that greenhouse gas emissions are heading in the wrong direction.

Do We Double-Down On Fossil Fuels Or Hasten The Move To Green Energy? (Subscription)

During economic distress or high inflation, there’s always pressure to develop new energy sources — typically coal, natural gas, or oil. But this weight is countered by the need to curb greenhouse gases and limit temperature increases. But the two forces are not necessarily contradictory. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says that the window is quickly closing, and the aims of the Paris climate talks are vanishing. Irena Director General Francesco La Camera told a press gathering on Friday that investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is expensive and a strategy that commits countries and companies to keep producing dirty fuels. Therefore, renewable energy should be scaled up to 40% across all economic sectors by 2030. That will require an investment of $5.7 trillion a year. Right now, green energy makes up 14% of the global energy portfolio.

  • Date: 04 April 2022
  • |
  • Source: Forbes

Energy agency: 'Radical action' needed to hit climate goals

The world must take "radical action" by investing $5.7 trillion in private and public money each year through 2030 to shift away from fossil fuels and ensure the planetary warming they cause doesn't pass dangerous thresholds, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says.

  • Date: 31 March 2022
  • |
  • Source: CGTN

Climate graphic of the week: Renewable energy pushes ahead of coal for the first time (Subscription)

Solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and bioenergy produced more electricity than coal in 2021 with Europe leading the way. Separately, a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency estimated that $5.7tn in annual investment was needed every year until 2030 for solar, wind and other forms of clean power to ensure that global warming does not exceed “dangerous thresholds”.

Renewable energy chief: climate goals need 'radical action' (Subscription)

The head of the International Renewable Energy Agency says “radical action” is needed to shift away from fossil fuels and ensure global warming doesn’t pass dangerous thresholds.