REMAP 2030 builds on an emerging consensus that holds international efforts to double the share of renewable energy by 2030 are attainable, but need to accelerate substantially if they are to be successful.
“REMAP 2030 clearly maps the challenge we face in meeting international targets to double the share of renewable energy worldwide,” said Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director General. “The good news is that costs are falling, the technology is spreading, and countries across the world are implementing policies to make this happen. With the right political will, a world powered by clean, renewable energy is within our reach.”
The REMAP 2030 process introduced by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will bring together experts and policy makers from across the globe together to assess the gap between current renewable energy projections and targets set by the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
Initial results show that investment in renewable power generation, grid expansions, sustainable biomass and the use of renewable energy to generate heat needs to accelerate substantially to meet targets. Global renewable power generation will have to exceed annual expansion rates of more than 150 GW per year, compared to around 110 GW in 2011.
Welcoming delegates to Abu Dhabi was Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s pioneering renewable energy initiative.
During his remarks, he highlighted IRENA’s achievements, pointing out that its research and communications "are demonstrating that renewable energy is already the natural and cost effective choice for many parts of the world.”
Al Jaber also announced the formal ratification of its headquarters agreement with IRENA, which represents the final step in the Agency’s legal establishment and formally accords IRENA all the rights, privileges and protections of an international organisation.
A bit later, Adnan Z. Amin presented the Annual Report of the Director-General for 2012 and said the year had bought both opportunities and challenges for renewable energy. He emphasised IRENA’s key involvement in the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative, saying that some of IRENA’s flagship activities, including the Renewables Readiness Assessments and the Global Renewable Energy Atlas were now an integral part of the SE4ALL agenda.
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