The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on Saturday launched the Pre-Assembly Day of its 16th Assembly under the theme “Powering Humanity: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity.”
More than 1,500 participants, including senior government officials, global leaders and energy policymakers, are attending the event to assess progress and outline next steps to accelerate the global transition to renewable energy.
Discussions are being held in line with the UAE Consensus, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, with a focus on expanding renewable energy capacity worldwide.
A series of stakeholder and ministerial meetings are taking place on Jan. 10 as part of the Pre-Assembly program, featuring high-level panels and regional consultations.
Among the highlighted sessions was “Pathways for a Renewable Future across Latin America and Caribbean subregions: Regional Energy Transition Outlook for South America,” which presented key findings from IRENA’s newly released South America outlook.
- Warning on insufficient progress
Opening the discussion, Ute Collier, acting director of IRENA’s Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre, pointed to growing global momentum behind renewable energy.
She said 2024 marked a historic year, with a record 582 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable capacity added worldwide, and noted that global investment in renewables exceeded fossil fuel investment for the first time.
Collier highlighted South America as a leading region, where renewable energy accounts for more than 80% of total electricity generation. Despite this progress, she cautioned that current efforts remain inadequate.
“This progress is not yet sufficient to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement,” Collier said, stressing the need for region-specific approaches and deeper cooperation to unlock the full potential of the energy transition.
The IRENA Assembly will continue in Abu Dhabi with sessions focused on financing, policy development and regional strategies to accelerate the global shift toward renewable energy.
By Gulsen Cagatay in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
