Global renewables agency launched as support falters [fr] [de]
A new international agency to promote renewable energies across the world was launched in Bonn on Monday (26 January) with fewer signatories than had been hoped for, after the US and UK dropped out of the list.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was established to counterbalance for the International Energy Agency, which has been criticised for favouring fossil fuels over green energies. IRENA is expected to offer advice to both industrialised and developing countries on reaching higher energy shares from renewable sources and promoting better financing mechanisms and technology transfers to developing nations (EurActiv 03/11/08).
The initiative has been strongly driven by Germany, which invited all United Nations countres to attend the founding conference. The founding treaty was signed by 75 countries.
The US and the UK, however, decided not to commit to the new body for now. The US is expected to join at a later stage, as President Obama's new administration has set out more ambitious goals for the share of renewables in electricity production. Indeed, Obama has pledged to earmark $100 billion for clean energy and environment policies in the US economic stimulus plan.
The UK, on the other hand, appears more reluctant to sign up to an initiative that in its eyes undermines the power of the UN-backed International Energy Agency. However, London did not rule out the possibility of joining later if other major polluting countries such as China, the US and Japan were to commit to the agency's goals.
Even France reportedly hesitated to join until the last minute after Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo had expressed reservations about the idea, notably regarding the decision to choose English as the agency's only working language.
Meanwhile, others embraced the initiative enthusiastically. German Federal Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said renewable energies offer significant potential for German industry as environmental technologies are well-developed in her country. "Energy and climate policy are now fixed components of our foreign and security policy. With IRENA, we want to assist the international breakthrough of renewables and reduce global rivalries over fossil energies and sources of supply," she concluded.
EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs urged all EU member states to participate in the agency, adding that he is working on achieving a mandate for the Commission to join in. He said the body's global reach and $25-million budget could make a real difference, helping EU countries to meet individual targets under their common obligation to increase the share of renewables in the bloc's energy mix by 20% by 2020 (see EurActiv's LinksDossier).
Green MEP Claude Turmes, who was the European Parliament's chief negotiator on the EU's new renewables legislation approved last month (EurActiv 09/12/08), argued along similar lines. "Europe has everything to gain from playing an active role internationally to develop renewables. This will help to drive renewables to the top of its own energy mix, delivering greater energy independence and creating jobs at a time when both are urgently needed," he said.
A preparatory meeting will be held in June to decide on the agency's location and its first director-general. This is expected to cause further controversy as several countries, including Germany, Spain and Kenya, have expressed interest in hosting IRENA.
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