Hélène Pelosse, director general of the recently established International Renewable Energy Agency Irena, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, explored future fields of co-operation between Irena and UN bodies at a meeting in New York.

At the meeting during Climate Week in New York, Hélène Pelosse introduced Irena and held discussions with the UN Secretary General.

“Various UN organisations work in the field of renewable energy. But Irena is the only one dedicated to the promotion of 100 per cent renewable energy worldwide. Irena and the UN will join forces to speed up the transformation of the global energy sector,” stated Hélène Pelosse.

Irena seeks to cooperate with the UN and associated organisations in the areas of education and training, financing, access to energy, potential studies and trade. Irena will team up with organisations like the United Nations University, Unesco, the World Bank and GEF, Unido, UNDP, UNEP and the WTO.

“We are currently exploring how Irena can support its members in meeting their national emission reduction targets. The global energy sector is responsible for half of the CO2 emissions worldwide. Renewables are the first choice when it comes to selecting instruments to combat climate change.”

In line with the UN Charter and the work of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women, Irena will hire 50 per cent women.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) was officially established in Bonn, Germany in January 2009. To date, 136 states have signed the Statute of the Agency. Irena is headquartered in Abu Dhabi with an innovation centre in Bonn, Germany and a liaison office in Vienna.

Irena's main objective is to actively promote the rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale.-TradeArabia News Service