News
New Interim Director-General and new Home for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The IRENA, officially established in Bonn on 26 January 2009, aims at promoting a rapid transition towards the use of renewable energy on a global scale by providing advice and support to both industrialised and developing countries.
At the Agency’s second session of the Preparatory Commission in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the 136 countries (among them 45 African, 36 European, 32 Asian, 14 American and 9 from Australia/Oceania) which have signed the statute of the agency made two main decisions. They decided to choose Ms Pelosse as interim Director-General and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as the interim Headquarters.
Ms Pelosse is currently, among her numerous activities, Deputy Head of Staff in the private office of the French Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable development, and Town and Country planning in charge of international affairs.
The UAE offered to spend about $136 million from now to 2015 to fund IRENA if they would be chosen to host the headquarters. Currently world’s third largest oil exporters, the UAE want to place themselves on the top of what could be the future energy industry.