The Tribune

A CABINET minister has attended an international conference focusing on the expansion of renewable energy usage.

Romauld Ferreira, minister of the environment and housing, joined 1,100 delegates from more than 150 countries at the eighth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly.

The summit, held on January 13-14 at IRENA's headquarters in Abu Dhabi, discussed private sector and civil society issues relating to global energy transformation and the way forward on renewables deployment.

Mr Ferreira said: "IRENA hosted a special high-level event, outside of the eighth session of the IRENA Assembly, which focused on improving the capacity of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to develop and secure financing for renewable energy projects.

"IRENA is the global platform for co-operation on renewable energy, and possesses a unique position to draw countries together. The forum is designed to develop strategies and, ultimately, global solutions to address climate and sustainable development challenges.

The side event also provided an ideal opportunity for each member state to share in diversity - their individual cultural experiences, needs, and the best practices to meet these challenges with opportunity."

Mr Ferreira recalled IRENA's high-level Ministerial Roundtable, which was held to share ideas on "the connection between an increasingly electrified transport sector and accelerated renewable energy deployment".

He added that the meeting "was to explore different perspectives on scaling up the use of renewables, especially in e-mobility".

IRENA was formed as a treaty organisation in 2009 to promote renewable energy and source funding for its 154-strong member countries, and 26 awaiting ascension to the assembly.

While many United Nations (UN) organisations work in renewable energy, IRENA is the only one dedicated to the promotion of 100 per cent renewable energy worldwide. It will join forces with the UN to speed up the transformation of the global energy sector.