The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) plan to scale up their collaboration through sharing positions at expert meetings, engaging in better knowledge exchange and sharing common capacities for greater outreach.
The move comes out of their shared conviction that the time to save our climate is running out and we’d better act now. A solution to reducing emissions lies in embracing low-carbon energy sources on a large scale in coming years.
“Falling technology costs have made solar, wind and other renewables the competitive backbone of energy decarbonization and, together with energy efficiency, the most effective climate action tool available,” explains Francesco La Camera, director-general of IRENA.
IRENA has repeatedly highlighted the crucial link between renewables transition and climate action, including its most recent People, Planet and Prosperity report. A rapid renewables adoption can help curb emissions by as much as 70% from current levels, it says.
IRENA, which supports the Global Climate Action initiative, regularly publishes influential publications on global renewables transition. The UNFCCC has also contributed considerably to building political support around both areas and strengthening devotion to climate action on a global scale.
At this point, the two organizations say, the Paris Agreement is a key hope when it comes to ensuring a livable future. Their joint efforts will aim to expand on the organizations’ previous collaborations and expertise. Within the new agreement, IRENA will more actively engage with states in the development of Nationally Determined Contributions, while the UNFCCC will further expand its efforts in highlighting the key role of renewables in climate action.
Considering that the burning of fossil fuels is a key cause for climate change, the partnership can strengthen resistance to the fossil fuel lobby, which currently spend fortunes on blocking climate action. Their agreement comes as a call to action for other organizations to unite efforts for timely and effective sustainability transitions.
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