Climate Action 2012-2013

ENERGY AND POWER
Mozambique, to Granada and Peru, and Oman
to Kiribati, to understand their situation and the
action they need to take.
As the uptake of renewables accelerates, so will
the number of people employed globally in green
jobs. Recent estimates from the Renewable
Energy Network for the 21st Century (REN21)
indicate that 5 million people worldwide are
employed directly or indirectly in the renewable
energy industry. In some countries the growth
rate of employment is slowing due to financial
constraints, policy changes and manufacturing
trends. But overall the numbers are growing,
and are set to continue growing, especially as we
come to understand the potential in the off-grid
electricity sector. In particular this sector offers
considerable potential for employment along
the value chain including in the distribution,
installation, operation and service of off-grid
systems. In a recent study, IRENA found that
reaching the goal of universal access to sustainable
energy by 2030 would create up to four million
direct jobs in the off-grid electricity sector alone.
Renewable energy’s capacity to supply decentralised
energy means it is inherently suited to contribute
to achieving the goal of universal access to modern
energy services. This forms one of the three
complementary and entirely achievable objectives
established by the UN Secretary-General’s
Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative.
Creating secure access to clean energy through
renewable energy will have a positive impact on
the socio-economic status and environment of
many. A second SE4All objective, doubling the
share of renewable energy in the global energy
mix by 2030, recognises the impact that renewable
energy can have globally. To ensure that we achieve
this IRENA has begun developing REMap 2030,
a road map for the global community. In this
we will identify and lay down viable pathways
for renewable energy technologies to achieve
this goal, and we will highlight opportunities for
international co-operation in renewable energy
technology development, deployment, and in
end-use sectors. We envisage that this road map
will enable countries to plot their paths towards a
more secure and sustainable future by up-scaling the
contribution of renewable energy.
Globally, we have high expectations of renewable
energy to move us onto a more secure, reliable
and sustainable energy path. The combined efforts
of policy-makers, the courage of investors, and
the innovation of scientists, have already acted as
positive catalysts to begin this transition. Global
growth in renewable energy policy, investment, and
capacity figures attest to this. But the realisation
of global potential will not be constrained by the
availability of energy sources, or by a lack of human
ingenuity, but by our ability to co-operate and
create practical solutions to our energy challenges.
For this we need innovative partnerships, the
commitment of governments, and the support and
participation of all industry. This is where IRENA
will play its role and make its contribution.
Decisions concerning our energy future are made
for the future of generations to come. This is the
time to make those decisions count.
“The off-grid electricity sector
offers considerable potential
for employment.”
Adnan Z Amin was elected as the first Director-
General of the International Renewable Energy Agency
(IRENA) in April 2011. In this capacity, he is
responsible for leading the Agency in the implementation
of its mandate to promote the adoption and use of
renewable energy worldwide. Mr Amin, of Kenya, is
a development economist specialising in sustainable
development. He has over 25 years’ experience in
international environment and sustainable development
policy, as well as in the political, management, and
interagency co-ordination functions of the UN, where
he has held senior positions. He is currently a member
of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Group on
Sustainable Energy for All.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
is an intergovernmental organisation with the objective
to “promote the widespread and increased adoption and
the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.” As
of September 2012, IRENA’s participants include 158
states and the European Union (EU), out of which
100 states and the EU have ratified the Statute and
are IRENA members. Governments, public and private
organisations, academics and the media can draw on
IRENA’s extensive knowledge base and wide-reaching
expertise for a one-stop service that facilitates increased
interest in, and adoption of, renewable energy technology
and policies.
62