International Renewable Energy Agency
In 1980, the Brandt Report first suggested that an international renewable agency might be necessary. Decades of advocacy followed from groups like Eurosolar and the World Council for Renewable Energy. In 1990, Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky proposed a renewables agency to the United Nations. German politician Hermann Scheer became a key driver behind these early efforts. He served as president of EUROSOLAR and chair of WCRE during those formative years. The Preparatory Conference held in April 2008 brought together fifty-four countries to discuss objectives. They debated finances, organizational structure, and activities for this new body. On the 26th of January 2009, seventy-five nations signed the Agency's statute at a conference in Bonn, Germany. The statute entered into force on the 8th of July 2010 after twenty-five countries ratified it. This legal milestone occurred thirty days after the final ratification deposit.
Hélène Pelosse was elected Interim Director-General during the second session of the Preparatory Commission in June 2009. She led operations while the interim headquarters were established in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Adnan Amin took over as the first Director-General on the 4th of April 2011. He completed two terms before stepping down in April 2019. Francesco La Camera assumed office on that same date in 2019 as the current Italian national leading the agency. The Assembly serves as the main governing body with one delegate from each member state meeting annually. The Council consists of twenty-one elected officials serving two-year terms who answer directly to the Assembly. The Secretariat acts as the executive branch providing technical support to these governing bodies. Amin later received the honorary title of Director-General Emeritus after his tenure concluded. During his leadership, IRENA implemented policies including the Paris Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Canada joined IRENA as its 160th member on the 9th of January 2019. By July 2022, one hundred sixty-eight states plus the European Union had become members. Seventeen additional countries remained in the process of accession at that time. In January 2026, United States President Donald Trump announced a withdrawal from the organization. Membership requires states to be part of the United Nations or regional intergovernmental economic-integration organizations. All members must uphold the organization's statute to the best of their abilities. This requirement ensures consistent adherence to renewable energy goals across diverse nations. The global reach expanded significantly during the first decade of operations. Nearly all countries worldwide eventually joined the membership roll by the end of the second term.
On the 8th of September 2014, IRENA published a notable report titled REthinking energy. Adnan Amin stated that speedier adoption of renewable technologies was the most feasible route to reduce carbon emissions. The study aimed to gauge how technological advances were transforming the global power sector. A convergence of social, economic and environmental forces was changing the system as known. Amin warned that continuing current paths would lead to serious impacts of climate change. The agency set a target to triple utilization of renewable energy sources by 2030. This goal entails achieving a total capacity of 11.2 terawatts within six years. Annual additions averaging 1,044 gigawatts are required to meet this ambitious target. Such action would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 43 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035. On the 25th of August 2023, the UN General Assembly declared January 26 as International Day of Clean Energy.
In March 2024, IRENA highlighted a marked rise in global renewable electricity capacity reaching 473 gigawatts in 2023. China led contributions to this growth with significant developments in solar and wind sectors. Solar energy capacity expanded by 32.4% to reach 1.42 terawatts, overtaking hydropower. Wind energy capacity also exceeded one terawatt during that same period. In July 2025, the agency published its 2024 report showing global additions reached 582 gigawatts. This represented a 19.8% increase compared to 2023 figures marking the highest annual expansion since records began in 2000. Solar photovoltaics accounted for 452.1 GW while wind provided 114.3 GW. Asia added 413.2 GW bringing the region's total to 2,374 GW. China accounted for 61.2% of global PV additions plus 69.4% of new wind installations. Ninety-one percent of new projects commissioned in 2024 were more cost-effective than fossil fuel alternatives.
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Common questions
When was the International Renewable Energy Agency established and when did its statute enter into force?
The International Renewable Energy Agency statute entered into force on the 8th of July 2010 after twenty-five countries ratified it. The agency's legal foundation began with a Preparatory Conference in April 2008 that brought together fifty-four countries to discuss objectives.
Who is the current Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency and when did they assume office?
Francesco La Camera assumed office as the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency on the 4th of April 2019. He is an Italian national who succeeded Adnan Amin who stepped down on that same date in 2019.
How many member states joined the International Renewable Energy Agency by July 2022 including regional organizations?
By July 2022, one hundred sixty-eight states plus the European Union had become members of the International Renewable Energy Agency. Canada joined IRENA as its 160th member on the 9th of January 2019 while seventeen additional countries remained in the process of accession at that time.
What target did the International Renewable Energy Agency set for renewable energy capacity utilization by 2030?
The International Renewable Energy Agency set a target to triple utilization of renewable energy sources by 2030. This goal entails achieving a total capacity of 11.2 terawatts within six years with annual additions averaging 1,044 gigawatts required to meet this ambitious target.
Which country led global renewable electricity growth and what were the solar and wind capacity figures in 2023 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency?
China led contributions to global renewable electricity growth reaching 473 gigawatts in 2023 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Solar energy capacity expanded by 32.4% to reach 1.42 terawatts while wind energy capacity also exceeded one terawatt during that same period.