Green hydrogen has received increasing attention across the energy sector in recent years, given its capability to decarbonise ‘hard to abate’ sectors and provide seasonal storage for power grids rich in variable renewable energy.

Drawing from diverse experiences in the renewable energy sector, including key insights from IRENA's Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform, this article elucidates what makes a project appealing to investors.

Rapidly evolving smart technology is helping to make power generation and distribution more efficient and sustainable. AI and the Big Data that drives it have become an absolute necessity.  Beyond just facilitating and optimising, these are now the basic tools for fast, smart decision making. 

The Paris agreement sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. . Today, more and more countries are aiming for net zero emissions by mid-century.

Australian residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems now have some of the lowest costs in the world, encouraging households to invest in rooftop solar PV at a time of rising energy prices.

Outdated perceptions of the costs of clean energy remain a major barrier to the energy transition. Despite the dramatic fall in prices across these technologies, the dialogue surrounding “cheap” fossil fuels and “expensive” renewable energy endures, and must be changed.

Renewable energy is at the heart of global efforts to secure a sustainable future. Partnering with young people to amplify calls for the global energy transition is an essential part of this endeavour, as they represent a major driver of development, social change, economic growth, innovation and environmental protection.

It is critical to quantify and contextualise the energy needs for healthcare facilities, in particular for countries with electricity access deficits where the delivery of quality healthcare to isolated, ‘last-mile’ communities poses a huge challenge. 

Europe has vast renewables potential which can supply the bulk of its energy needs in a fully decarbonised energy system.

In a world so rich in innovation and technology, it is easy to forget just how important people are to progress and development.

The Paris agreement sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. . Today, more and more countries are aiming for net zero emissions by mid-century.

Here is why raising the climate ambitions expressed in the NDCs today is a smart move, both for the economies and climate targets.

Domestic financial institutions are best placed to mitigate credit risks, access competent technical assistance and assess renewable energy investments, they represent a reliable partners in RE project development.

A message to the G20 from Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA

Electromobility has a major role to play in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. IRENA’s transformation pathway estimates that 350 million electric vehicles (EVs) will be needed by 2030, kickstarting developments in the industry and influencing share values as manufacturers, suppliers and investors move to capitalise on the energy transition.

Africa desperately needs electricity for its socio-economic development. Over the last 25 years, demand has grown at an annual average of 3.3%. By 2040, total demand is expected to triple to approximately 1600 TWh.

IRENA and Enel foundation strength their partnership on the occasion of COP26 to accurately measure reserves, resources and demand impacts, accounting for innovation and circularity from design to re-use and recycle. Supply risks can be managed properly and IRENA convening power and technical expertise will help foster international governance for materials.

Inefficient applications of biomass must be replaced by modern and clean energy solutions, since they harm people’s health, damage the environment and reduce social well-being.

As countries around the world shape their plans to build back better in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they have a chance to create significant private sector business opportunities by accelerating the global energy transition.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is redefining its role within an evolving energy landscape, transitioning to a renewables-based energy system offers a pathway to simultaneously meet growing energy demand, promote economic growth, maximise socio-economic benefits, and achieve decarbonisation objectives.

Moving the needle on SDG 7 target on universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy requires a systemic change in terms of planning, policies and regulations, as well as financing.

Moving the needle on SDG 7 target on universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy requires a systemic change in terms of planning, policies and regulations, as well as financing.

The energy transition, with its systematic shift to renewable energy needs to be understood not as a burden impost on the world’s most vulnerable people, but as a vast opportunity to improve livelihoods across Africa in ways that transcend purely economic benefits.

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Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General & Nardos Bekele-Thomas, AUDA-NEPAD CEO, discuss how ensuring adequate investment and infrastructure development to support renewables is crucial to meet Africa's power needs.