International Renewable Energy Agency to Live in UAE
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which includes 148 member nations and the EU and was created in 2009, has decided to set up its official home now, and it is doing so in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This reportedly marks the first time an Arabian nation will become home to a truly international organization.
With what could be the world’s largest concentrating solar power plant, what could be the world’s first carbon-neutral city — the quite famous Masdar City, and a growing clean energy push, the UAE is a logical location for such an agency. Still, it might be a shock for some to realize that rather than choosing the U.S., China, or Europe, the world’s renewable energy agency is going to be located in the Middle East.
The decision was finalized at the historic first session of IRENA on April 4, 2011. This session “gathered 800 delegates from 150 nations and was attended by more than 90 ministers,” Business Wire reports. At the meeting, Adnan Amin was also named the Director General of the Agency (he was already the Acting Interim Director General).
“The United Arab Emirates provides an environment that promotes the future growth of renewable energy and is a natural fit to be the long-term home to IRENA,” said IRENA Director General, Adnan Amin. “I am honoured to be entrusted by the esteemed member nations to lead IRENA, and I look forward to working together as a dedicated, united voice to advocate for the acceleration and adoption of renewable energy.”
Clearly, this move shows there is a lot of confidence around the world in what the UAE is doing on the renewable energy front.
h/t EarthTechling
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