The 14th General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) gets underway today. From 17-18 April, around 170 countries will convene in Abu Dhabi to jointly develop concrete solutions for the global energy transition and, consequently, also for achieving the main objectives of COP28, viz. the global phase-out of fossil fuels, doubling energy efficiency and, above all, tripling the globally installed capacity of renewable energies by 2030. This expansion of renewable energies to 11 terawatts is a key prerequisite for effectively curbing climate change and limiting the global rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees.

According to Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action: “In terms of the global goals on renewable energies, energy efficiency and the phase-out of fossil fuels, the global community has clearly defined our ambitions and the targets we must meet by 2030. Putting these goals into practice means that we all need to work collectively in order to step up the pace of the energy transition worldwide. The IRENA Assembly serves this purpose. We are now setting up a new global energy system that – against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions – must be more sustainable, fairer and more resilient. It presents the opportunity to build new value chains and promote local value creation in the Global South. We must now take concrete action to phase out fossil fuels and unleash the economic potential of renewables. As far as the energy transition is concerned, we are making huge strides in Germany. In 2023, for the first time, renewables covered more than 50% of gross electricity consumption. In addition, more solar power systems were installed in 2023 than ever before. The strong expansion of renewables and the significant improvement in the efficient use of energy will allow us to replace fossil fuels. The decarbonisation of industry, the ramp-up of heat pumps and the expansion of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are also playing a vital role in significantly reducing our emissions. Germany is on the right path to achieving the 2030 climate targets.”

Alongside the IRENA Annual Assembly, Stefan Wenzel will also be attending the eighth bilateral Energy and Climate Day, which is being held under the umbrella of the Energy and Climate Partnership between Germany and the United Arab Emirates. The focus will also be on the COP28 resolutions at this event.

Weitere Informationen

Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, was founded in 2009. The organisation currently has 169 member countries. Its mission is to promote the expansion and sustainable use of renewable energies. IRENA provides practical advice to industrialised and developing countries on implementing the energy transition.

In its special report, IRENA has revealed that, despite the record expansion of all renewable energies across the globe in 2023, the world is not yet on track with the necessary expansion of renewable energies. A record year, 2023 saw the installation of renewable energy systems with a total power capacity of 473 gigawatts. To achieve the targets by 2030, however, the renewable power capacity has to rise to 1000 gigawatts per year.

Forged in 2016, the Energy and Climate Partnership between Germany and the United Arab Emirates is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. The partnership is supported by Guidehouse and the German- Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK). In October 2022, the bilateral energy partnership was expanded to include climate as an important pillar of its cooperation.