ABU DHABI, 12th January, 2023 (WAM) — The International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) Thirteenth Assembly will take place this week from 14-15 January 2023, bringing together heads of state, ministers and energy decision-makers from multilateral organisations, global stakeholders and private actors take stock of progress and chart an action agenda to accelerate the global energy transition.

As the first annual milestone on the global energy agenda in 2023, the Assembly convenes over 1,500 high-level participants under the theme “World Energy Transitions – The Global Stocktake” to identify energy transition priorities in preparation for the UAE-hosted UN Climate Conference COP28 later in the year.

“We have a remarkable opportunity, and responsibility, to ensure that the energy decisions of today place us on a positive trajectory for sustainable development,” IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera, said. “The Assembly enables governments to align efforts on the building of a new energy system, delivering on the achievement of the Paris Agreement goals and on critical global priorities such as job creation, green industrial development and supply chains, energy security and universal access, among others.”

“The energy transition is not just a priority in these defining times, but a responsibility for countries, industries, and communities,” Raj Kumar Singh, India’s Cabinet Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy and President-Designate of the 13th IRENA Assembly, stated. “India continues to advance visible action towards its strong commitment. We look forward to facilitating discussions on the trajectory of the energy transition in preparation for the Global Stocktake process.”

Solution-oriented discussions will focus on critical energy transition enablers such as investment, critical materials, energy planning, decarbonization of end use and the renewables-healthcare nexus, to name a few. Dedicated ministerial roundtables for SIDS, Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia will also take place, providing updates on energy transition progress in those regions.

Ahead of the opening, the Assembly Pre-day will kick-off tomorrow (Friday 13th January 2023), featuring stakeholder events that bring perspectives on the energy transition from parliamentarians, youth and the private sector. Topics such as end-of-life management of solar PV, decentralised renewables and catalysing local finance for renewable energy projects will be on the agenda.