Germany will be the first country to ratify the Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The Bundestag and Bundesrat have concluded the necessary national legislative procedure in record time. Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has welcomed this and stressed the merits of Bonn as the site for the IRENA Secretariat. The German government has applied to host this new Agency in the UN city of Bonn.

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Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Sigmar Gabriel

(© BMU; by Frank Ossenbrink)

"With the swift ratification of the Statute, Germany is once again demonstrating its commitment to a strong international organization focusing on the global expansion of renewable energies," Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said. "The UN city of Bonn provides a location with international experience, technological know-how and a well-established research landscape."

Germany has submitted a generous offer to accommodate the IRENA Secretariat. It plans to provide funding of 8 million euros per year. The premises, which are located at a spacious site directly by the Rhine, will be provided rent-free. Their efficient energy supply will be covered by renewables. At the end of this month, on June 29, the signatory states will decide in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on where the IRENA headquarters will be located and who will be appointed the first Director-General. Vienna and Abu Dhabi have also applied to host the Secretariat.

Minister Gabriel: "The idea to found IRENA was born here. By building trust we were able to drive forward the founding process despite initial scepticism. It is no exaggeration to say that we established the IRENA family. Now we want to bring the family home."

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Solar facility in Dresden

(© dpa)

Germany initiated the founding of IRENA and was among the first to sign the Statute. On January 26, 2009, 75 countries signed the Statute in Bonn. There are currently almost 100 IRENA members, and other countries have signalled their intention to join.

Minister Gabriel: "Renewable energies offer huge potential for climate protection, secure energy supply, economic development and thus for poverty eradication. More and more countries are recognising these opportunities and want to make the most of them."

IRENA, the first international organization to focus exclusively on the issue of renewable energies, aims to advance the use of renewable energies worldwide. The goal is to close the gap between the enormous potential of renewables and their current relatively low market share in energy consumption. The main work of IRENA will be to advise its members on creating the right framework conditions, building capacities and improving financing and the transfer of technology and know-how for renewable energies.

In Germany, the IRENA founding process was led by the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Development Ministry, in close cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office. The IRENA Statute enters into force when it has been ratified by 25 countries.