IRENA and Abu Dhabi

The decision on June 29, 2009 in Sharm el-Sheik Egypt to make Abu Dhabi--one of the world's largest suppliers of oil--the headquarters for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), was a bold and important one. This considerable victory for Abu Dhabi received much attention in the regional press and was generally portrayed as recognition of the UAE's sustained effort to be a major player in the development of renewable energies.

What has been given less attention, however, is the important political message this decision sends regarding energy security: Energy producers and Energy consumers have the same interest in developing renewable energy, augmenting traditional energy sources, and eventually transitioning away from fossil fuels. The development of renewable energy sources is not a zero-sum game. Too often political rhetoric in energy-consuming countries uses the renewable energy movement as a threat to energy producing governments. The challenge for IRENA will be to draw in the resources of other major energy producers and maintain the pressure, commitment, and drive among the signatories as rising (or falling) prices of energy create competing incentives among the constituents.

IRENA has been a long time in the making. The agency can trace its roots back to a 1990 German-based movement to create an international solar energy agency under the UN. While they were unable to get UN backing, German NGO's continued to lobby for the creation of an international organization dedicated to renewable energies. Its founding meeting with 70 plus countries took place in Bonn in January 2009, and by the June 2009 planning meeting it had 136 signatories-45 African, 36 European, 32 Asian, 14 American, and 9 Australian/Oceana. At this meeting, the constituent countries voted to have Abu Dhabi as its headquarters, with splinter offices in Bonn (Technology and Innovation) and Vienna (Cooperation and Coordination).

Abu Dhabi, with one of the world's highest per-capital carbon footprints, was not the most obvious choice, given the environmental credentials of competing cities such as Bonn and Vienna. Yet, an impressive international lobbying initiative by the UAE foreign ministry, last minute deal making, the commitment Abu Dhabi had already made to developing environmental technologies, and the promise of a well-funded headquarters, all played a part in Abu Dhabi's victory.

Abu Dhabi placed itself in the middle of the climate change debate with its roll out of its proposal for Masdar City in 2006. Masdar is designed to be the world's first carbon neutral and waste free city, set for completion in 2016. Powered by renewable energy, it is designed to be a living laboratory for the implementation of the latest renewable technologies. Masdar will house an Institute for Science and Technology (MIST) – a degree granting institution in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIST just opened its doors in temporary headquarters to its first students in September 2009, many of whom will be focusing on the development of solar technologies. As such, Abu Dhabi was already seeking to be a global headquarters for the research and development of renewable technologies. Now with IRENA, Abu Dhabi adds an important policy coordination and advocacy institution to its Masdar initiative.

Overall, Abu Dhabi seems set to become a well-funded command central for the renewable energy movement. As part of their bid to host IRENA, Abu Dhabi pledged to cover all the start-up costs as well as housing and maintenance costs-allowing the dues of members to be spent on staffing and projects. And, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development committed $50 million a year to sustainable energy projects in developing countries, promising an ambitious start to bridging the gap between developed and the developing world on introducing sustainable development practices.
INEGMA