During COP 27 in Egypt, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The two parties agreed to exchange knowledge and collaborate on initiatives to accelerate widespread renewable energy adoption to mitigate climate change.
Mr Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, and Mr Abdalah Mokssit, IPCC Secretary, met at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh to sign the MoU.
“We have all the tools we need to address the growing climate challenge,” said IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera.
The reliability and resilience of renewables in the face of mounting global crises should serve as clear motivating factors for governments to double down on the energy transition and accelerate renewable energy deployment. Clean energy is abundant, but time is not.
“With current commitments, we are not on track to limit warming to 1.5°C. But, with rapid and deeper emissions cuts through 2030, we can keep this goal within reach”, said Abdalah Mokssit, the Secretary of IPCC.
Costs for some forms of renewable energy have fallen, use of renewables continues to rise and, in some countries and regions, electricity systems are already predominantly powered by renewables. We’re confident this partnership will strategically contribute to the much-needed transformational change and to a faster and sweeping transition to renewables.
The signed MoU provides a framework for IRENA and IPCC to enhance understanding of the scientific basis of the risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The two organisations will also work together to promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy through dialogues, expert meetings and workshops in coordination with the relevant IPCC Working Groups/Task Force Bureau.