Great strides have been made in the last two decades to bring electricity to the masses, with 1.7 billion more people connected today than in 1990. Latin America has been a pioneer in this regard, boasting an electrification rate of 95%. But much more remains to be done. More than 1.3 billion people (30 million … Continue reading Power to the People: Renewables Can Bring Power to 1.3 Billion With No Access
Providing clean, sustainable energy to the 1.1 billion people currently without modern energy services now has a new champion; a champion with a loud voice and global reach. Akon, R & B star and founder of the Akon Lighting Africa initiative teamed up with Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) this week in New York, lending … Continue reading Star Power Lends Weight to Sustainable Energy for All
This week, IRENA is participating in the second annual UN Sustainable Energy for All Forum in New York City. In addition to launching the 2015 renewable energy jobs report, IRENA is also participating in various sessions on energy access, energy policy, mobilizing finance for renewables in Africa, communicating renewable energy, renewable energy for islands and … Continue reading Powering Islands with Renewable Energy
According to a report being released today by IRENA, more than 7.7 million people worldwide are now employed by the renewable energy industry. This is an 18 per cent increase from last year’s figure of 6.5 million. IRENA will present the findings of its new report at the second annual UN Sustainable Energy for All … Continue reading 7.7 Million People Worldwide Are Employed by Renewable Energy: New IRENA Report
IRENA and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) today announced USD 57 million in concessional loans for five renewable energy projects in developing countries. The projects to be financed in the second cycle have a combined total capacity of 35 megawatts, bringing reliable and sustainable power to more than 280,000 people in rural communities that … Continue reading IRENA and ADFD Bring Renewable Power to 280,000 in Many Rural Communities
The cost of generating power from renewable energy sources has reached parity or dropped below the cost of fossil fuels for many technologies in many parts of the world, IRENA revealed in a new report today. The landmark report, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014, concludes that biomass, hydropower, geothermal and onshore wind are all competitive … Continue reading Renewable Power Costs Plummet: Many Sources Now Cheaper than Fossil Fuels Worldwide
(This article originally appeared in The Guardian on 24 December, 2015.) Since the final gavel fell at the Lima climate talks earlier this month, discussions have centred on one question: what did the talks actually accomplish? After two weeks of intense negotiation, governments settled on a draft text that will hopefully lead to a successful global … Continue reading The Switch to Renewable Power is a Battle We Cannot Afford to Lose (Op-Ed by IRENA Head)
Sustainable energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity and an environment that allows the world to thrive.”- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the launch of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative During IRENA’s fifth Assembly today, delegates engaged in a programmatic discussion on off-grid renewable energy deployment. Four … Continue reading Renewable Energy Can Help Reach 100% Electrification
Water in China is a big issue. According to the United Nations, China is home to 21% of the world’s population but contains only 7% of global freshwater supplies. Faced with an imminent water supply challenge, China introduced province-level water use quotas for 2015, 2020 and 2030, targeting improvements in water use efficiency across sectors, … Continue reading China’s Water Crisis: Renewables Offer Water Stress Solution
The African Union (AU) and IRENA on Friday briefed African energy ministers and other senior officials on outcomes of the Paris climate talks and the need for renewables to address climate change. Indigenous renewable energy sources could more than match Africa’s fast-growing energy demand without adding to global carbon-dioxide emissions. Off-grid solar, wind and bioenergy … Continue reading AU Commission, IRENA Call for Coordination on Africa’s Energy Transition
