International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Briefing 08-09-2016

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is the only international organisation that is dedicated exclusively to promoting the global adoption of renewable energy and facilitating its sustainable use. Today, five years after its establishment in 2011, IRENA has 149 members, including 27 EU Member States and the European Union. IRENA provides renewable energy data and statistics, advice on best practices and policy, as well as financial and technological expertise. It exerts its influence mainly through publications such as the Roadmap for a Renewable Energy Future, the Renewables Readiness Assessment and the Global Atlas for Renewable Energy, which are especially important for developing nations lacking the expertise and administrative capacity to conduct their own energy-related analysis. IRENA is also credited with fostering innovation in the field of global energy governance because in the process of producing its publications, it brings together a wide range of stakeholders and facilitates debate.