Hermann Scheer died on 14 October 2010 at the age of 66 in Berlin.
Born in April 1944, Hermann Scheer was a member of the German parliament since 1980. President of the European Association for Renewable Energy (Eurosolar), he was also General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy. In 1999, Hermann was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize – The Right Livelihood Award- for his “indefatigable work for the promotion of solar energy worldwide”. In 2002, Time Magazine recognised him as one of five “Heroes for the Green Century.”
Sheer is also widely credited for pushing through the policies that turned his country, Germany, into a leader in renewable energy.
“Hermann is the father of IRENA, he is an inspiring model”, says Hélène Pelosse, Interim Director General of IRENA. Indeed, over the past two decades, Hermann Scheer has fought for the establishment of a political institution in the form of an international governmental organisation for renewable energy. "The long way from the initiative to the foundation of the IRENA shows that you do not only need further leading ideas but also patience and stamina for their realization." said Scheer in retrospect.
“In his speech during the founding conference on IRENA, Hermann reminded us that we shouldn’t lose any more time to accelerate the transition towards renewable energies”, says Hélène Pelosse.
On Hermann Scheer’s webpage today, his colleagues paid tribute to his untiring work promoting renewables:“Hermann Scheer achieved a great deal in his lifetime. Thanks to him, exemplary progress has been made worldwide towards a green energy supply from renewable sources rather than coal and nuclear power. His unwavering aim of accelerating the transformation of energy systems is becoming reality because his wealth of knowledge, his logical analysis and his ability to inspire others enabled him to convince and win over many people”.
He will be sadly missed.
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