Over 500 leaders from government, business and civil society gathered at the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to discuss scaling up renewable energy as the cornerstone of global climate change mitigation.
The Financial Times-IRENA Question Time Debate event featured a special address by Ban Ki-moon, United Nations General Secretary, who spoke about the close partnership between the UN and IRENA since the agency’s founding.
The welcome address by IRENA’s General Director echoed the sentiment of strong collaboration between the two agencies to scale up renewable energy, IRENA’s press release reads.
Adnan Amin , IRENA’s General Director, said: “After the Paris climate conference in December, global focus is shifting from negotiation to action. Leadership at all levels is key to achieve and surpass the emission reduction targets set forth in the Paris Agreement. Tonight’s event provided a platform to engage in dialogue, build momentum, and chart a course for a renewable energy future.”
The panel discussion included Christiana Figueres, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary, Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner, Kyung-Ah Park, Managing Director, Head of Environmental Markets at Goldman Sachs & Co.
The event took place following the conclusion of the sixth IRENA Assembly, which brought together more than 1,000 energy leaders from 150 countries to set the global renewable energy agenda and make concrete steps to accelerate the ongoing global energy transition.
IRENA is an intergovernmental organization made up from 145 members (144 states and the European Union) that promotes the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.
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