The international interest representation organ of renewable energy, IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) held its annual general assembly in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 18-19 January, 2014. Hungary attended the event as an invited applicant country with an observer status.

Beyond knowledge sharing, IRENA aims to promote the flow of investments, the latest technologies and innovations. The organisation has 124 member states, to which the accession of over 40 countries is in progress.

At the general assembly, the plan entitled REMAP 2030 was presented, according to which the share of renewable energy resources in global energy production could double in the next 16 years. Together with this, the number of employees in this sector (currently 5.7 million people) could further increase. The global energy system has never before experienced a transformation of a volume like the current one, Director-General of IRENA Adnan Z. Amin opined.

Deputy State Secretary for Climate Policy Ferenc Hizó, representing Hungary, had discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan as well as with Ambassador Thani Al-Zeyoudi, Director of Energy and Climate Change of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of UAE. At the discussions, the representatives of the two countries mutually assured one another of cooperation in the fields of technology and knowledge transfer as well as green economy investments.

Ferenc Hizó informed Minister of State Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and President of the Masdar Institute Fred Moavenzadeh of Hungary’s intention to join IRENA. The Minister of State welcomed Hungary’s intention for accession and offered full-scale scholarship to ten Hungarian students with outstanding talent for attending a master course at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

As the co-event of the IRENA general assembly, the biggest programme on sustainable development in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, was held featuring lectures, exhibitions and panel discussions.  Within the framework of the event series, the Deputy State Secretary attended a ministerial round table discussion and exchanged experience on renewable energy investments and international geothermal developments.

(Ministry for National Development)