Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The 16th session of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) commenced Sunday in Abu Dhabi, and will continue until tomorrow, making it the first international energy sector meeting of 2026.
The event, held under the theme 'Powering Humanity: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity', is attended by ministers, high-level officials, and representatives from 139 countries and the European Union, with a total participation of 1,524 delegates from member states and partners, including 45 countries represented at the ministerial level, as well as a select group of chief executives, investors, international organisations, and youth. The aim is to establish a joint agenda and determine priorities for international cooperation towards a better energy future.
The main discussions of the current session focus on regional energy transitions and critical enabling factors such as electricity grids, energy planning, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, and mobilising finance, including sustainable aviation fuel.
The agenda also explores how renewable energy can contribute to enhancing agri-food systems and green manufacturing.
In his opening speech at the 16th IRENA Assembly, Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the IRENA, affirmed that renewable energy has become the most competitive way to generate electricity, beating fossil fuel alternatives on cost, resilience, and on long-term stability. He emphasised that the path of energy sector transformation has become irreversible.
At the beginning of his speech, La Camera welcomed the participants and congratulated Joel Adrián Santos Echavarría, Minister of Energy and Mines, Dominican Republic on assuming the Presidency of the 16th Session of the Assembly.
He also thanked Vice-Minister Betty Soto for representing Dominican Republic, expressing his anticipation for joint work throughout the year. He further congratulated the Vice Presidents Solomon Islands, Spain, Antigua and Barbuda, and Kenya, while also commending the previous presidency of Slovenia and its leadership of the fifteenth session.
The Director-General of IRENA pointed out that the Assembly is convening at a time when the world faces overlapping crises, including geopolitical tensions, economic pressures, widening inequality gaps, and the three planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. He stressed that these challenges now threaten the sustainability of the current global development model.
He explained that the global energy system is undergoing a radical transformation, shifting from a centralised, fossil fuel-based model to a more decentralised system reliant on renewable energy, including the sustainable use of biomass and hydrogen, especially green hydrogen produced from renewable sources. He noted that the market has already made its choice in favour of renewable energy.
He stated that 92% of new electricity capacity installed last year came from renewable sources, and that this year the world is heading towards a new record, with an expected addition of nearly 700 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity.
He pointed out that the capacity installed in just one year is equivalent to twice the total nuclear capacity built over the past seventy years.
La Camera called on countries to strengthen their renewable energy strategies, not only to achieve climate action goals but also because it represents the most flexible and viable economic path for development, security, decarbonisation, and enhanced competitiveness. He explained that the competitiveness of future economies will be measured by their ability to provide clean, secure, and lowest-cost energy.
He affirmed that countries that move quickly will achieve sustainable productivity and competitive advantages, while hesitant countries will fall behind, noting that renewable energy forms the foundation for industrial competitiveness and economic productivity.
He stressed the pivotal role of international cooperation in supporting the global energy transition by providing low-cost financing mechanisms, reducing investment risks, and enhancing innovative financing tools, emphasising that access to affordable finance must be a cornerstone of international cooperation.
He explained that the number of IRENA members has risen to 171, reflecting growing confidence in the agency’s role and the importance of international cooperation in the field of renewable energy. He affirmed that this growth strengthens the agency’s unique role in guiding the global transition towards a more secure, inclusive, and sustainable future.
