The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today in New York, in the aftermath of the 2014 Climate Summit. With this MoU the two organizations formalize their cooperation with a view to increasing the share of renewables in the global energy mix and to providing access to affordable and clean energy for all.The two organizations will promote the exchange of know-how and best practice among relevant experts to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy as affordable and scalable means of sustainable development and climate change mitigation. This cooperation will include, inter alia, the exchange of information on tools and mechanisms for renewable energy investments, capacity building as well as the support for policy and regulatory reform.
UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach said “ strengthened cooperation between our two organizations will facilitate the development of renewable energy standards, which will be key for the deployment of these technologies at the mass scale needed to provide sustainable energy for all while combatting climate change”
IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin said: “this cooperation agreement will provide an effective platform for engaging UNECE's member States in IRENA’s broad knowledge framework designed to advance the deployment of renewable energy worldwide and build a sustainable energy future.”
The cooperation will facilitate an expert discussion on a possible roadmap for the UNECE region for achieving the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) goal of doubling the share of renewables by 2030, as well as highlighting obstacles, gaps and opportunities at national, subregional and regional level.
The next step of this dialogue will be the first session of the UNECE Group of Experts on Renewable Energy which will take place in Geneva, on 18-19 November 2014.
For further information please visit http://www.unece.org/energy/se/gere.html