The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms or renewable energy.

Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will facilitate access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data. By september 2010, 149 countries and the European Union had signed the agency’s statute, including countries in 48 African, 38 European, 35 Asian, 17 American and 10 Australia/Oceania States. 33 countries and the European Union have ratified its treaty. The statute entered into force on 8 July 2010.

On June 2009, at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the French citizen Hélène Pelosse was elected Interim Director-General, a position she resigned on October 21, 2010. Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was elected as interim headquarters of the Agency.

IRENA's founding reflects a growing consensus among governments around the world on the need to speed up the commercialization of renewable energy worldwide. IRENA provides advice and support to governments on renewable energy policy, capacity building, and technology transfer. IRENA will also co-ordinate with existing renewable energy organizations, such as REN21.

Aims

Mandated by governments worldwide, IRENA aims to become the main driving force in promoting a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale:

Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will provide practical advice and support for both industrialised and developing countries, help them improve their regulatory frameworks and build capacity. 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.

Actions

Right after the Interim Director general elections, IRENA started its actions with the Kingdom of Tonga. These South Pacific islands are currently almost totally reliant on imported diesel for electricity. In 2009, 19% of Tonga’s GDP and 25% of its imports consisted of diesel purchases. With the assistance of IRENA, Tonga has developed the 2010-2020 Tonga Energy Road Map (TERM), which aims for a 50% reduction of diesel importation. This will be accomplished through a range of appropriate renewable technologies, including wind and solar, as well as innovative efficiencies.

Member States

As of July 21, 2010, 148 countries and the European Union have joined IRENA. Among them, almost all European and 48 African States. The United States officially joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), increasing the number of countries participating in the organization to 136. The U.S. participation is an important element of the Obama Administration's effort to support renewable energy technologies and economy needed to address climate change. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the United States will work closely with other signatories, IRENA's leadership, and members of Congress to ensure that the new agency's work augments and complements other renewable energy efforts. U.S. Ambassador Reno Harnish signed the IRENA statute at the second session of the IRENA Preparatory Commission in Egypt. Other major countries joined also. Like India, Japan, Australia.

United Nations

“ Various UN organisations work in the field of renewable energy. But IRENA is the only one dedicated to the promotion of 100% renewable energy worldwide. IRENA and the UN will join forces to speed up the transformation of the global energy sector ”

—Hélène Pelosse

Hélène Pelosse, Director General of IRENA, met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during 2009 Climate week in New York, together with Mr. Ban explored future fields of cooperation between IRENA and various UN bodies. IRENA seeks to cooperate with the UN and associated organisations in the areas of education and training, financing, access to energy, potential studies and trade. IRENA will team up with organisations like the United Nations University, UNESCO, the World Bank and GEF, UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP and the WTO.