Welcome to the Fourteen session of IRENA Assembly Live. Follow this page for live blog from all sessions during the Pre-Assembly day and check IRENA social media channels for updates on #IRENA14A.

IRENA Pre-Assembly stakeholder and ministerial meetings are taking place on ^the 16th April 2024. See the full schedule here.

 

Youth Forum

The day commences with a Youth Forum session themed "Youth at the core of Just Energy Transition: Skills, Empowerment and Innovation". This session is dedicated to empowering young leaders to foster a just and inclusive energy transition. The session was opened by Lydia Sanz-Lozano, Student Energy Summit who welcomed the participants and encouraged them to bring home what learn here. 

The session focuses on building skills and capacities in renewable energy among youth, amplifying their voices in energy discussions, and encouraging youth-led innovation for sustainability. The IRENA Deputy Director-General, Gauri Singh started the panel conversation saying "Each of you show passion and commitment. Let me congratulate you on your work in this space. Through this opportunity, we will learn from you and I encourage you to take every opportunity to work with communities and make changes happen. I would really encourage each of you here to work in the field, to work with communities, to understand what it takes to make change happen, and to build on the passion you have for climate change."

 

The discussion continues with the focus on challenges that the Youth faces in engaging on a global level. Gauri Singh, Deputy Director General, IRENA, shares the Agency’s focus on nurturing the next generation's skills and resources for climate leadership. “Whether you are deciding on academic paths or driving startup innovation, our accelerator program provides mentoring and networking opportunities to shape valuable solutions for climate change", she said.

The Forum is now opened for questions from the audience. Asked about her journey to leadership in the renewable energy sector to inspire young women in the sector, Wudindolo Fantina responded that belief in oneself is the starting point. "I make sure that I can have my voice heard. The keys are identifying your strength and persevere."

Jean Francoise Gagne, Head of the Clean Energy Ministerial Secretariat, urges the youth to unite in tackling the uncertainties of the future. “You can’t predict the future, but at the same time you can’t wait for the future to be happening on you. And that is why today is very important in helping to build the resilience that will propel us.”

Find out more about the Youth Forum here.

The panel discussion is now finished and the session progresses to its next segment focused on group work with the invited guests. The youth will engage with policy makers, government representatives, philanthropy and other stakeholders to discuss the role of youth in just energy transition. The suggested topics focus on identifying priority areas for action to accelerate skills development and youth empowerment post-IRENA Youth Forum and scaling-up Youth-led climate and energy initiatives.

Electrification of Road Transport Enabling Policies and Systemic Innovation

This Pre-Assembly session delves into the policies and innovations supporting the electrification of road transport, bringing together policymakers, experts, and industry leaders to discuss the transition to renewables-based electrification for various vehicle types. IRENA's Tracking COP28 Outcomes report shows that progress in transport electrification in 2023 fell short of the required pace. The current battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) stock would need to increase from around 40 million today to 360 million by 2030, a target that cannot be achieved at current growth rates.

Jinlei Feng of IRENA delivered a scene-setting presentation, outlining the status of the road transport sector and its decarbonisation needs. Multiple barriers impede the transition, including high-upfront purchase costs, battery costs, charging infrastructure improvement needs and lack of supporting policies. The electrification of road transport requires systemic innovation, encompassing not only technology and infrastructure but also market design and business models.

The latest Innovation Landscape for smart electrification report highlights 35 innovations for mobility sector and provides an overview of blind spots for policy makers.

Norway represents a success story in e-vehicles introduction. The country leads on the amount of the electric passenger vehicles, with a share of around 95% of electric vehicles on the road. More than 82% of vehicles sold in Norway in 2023 were EVs and it will not be possible to purchase fossil fuel cars from 2025 in the country. Mr Hans Olav Ibrekk, Special Envoy on Climate and Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, said 'We don't have a car producer in Norway. There is no industrial benefit to us." He continued discussing the incentives provided by the Norway government to support the road transport electrification and the impact of this positive change. "The huge benefit of the transition is that the noise level has gone significantly down", he concluded.

EV sales have also been rapidly increasing in China. Dr Yuetao Xie, Director, China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute National Energy Administration, China outlined that 9.5 million EVs were sold in 2023, accounting for 32% of total vehicle sales. China is the largest EV market in the world and charging infrastructure has been a significant Chinese policy priority, including substantial investment in public and private charging stations, especially those at highway service stations.

 

IRENA/CEM – Progress & options for wider collaboration

The Members gather to discuss the ongoing partnership with IRENA, and Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) initiatives, highlighting progress and exploring cooperation opportunities. The session seeks insights on enhancing international collaboration, integrating IRENA's contributions into CEM workstreams, finding common ground for greater impact, fostering collaboration to benefit Global South countries.

The IRENA-Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) event opened with an introduction from the co-organisers, on the ongoing collaboration between the two organisations, and how today's discussion will explore more opportunities and synergies in the collaboration. Representing IRENA, Michael Taylor, Head Renewable Energy Costs and Outlook, acknowledged upcoming opportunities for collaboration, in tripling renewables capacity and doubling energy efficiency.

During the panel discussion, Peta Olesen, Director, Net Zero Innovation, Australia International Climate and Energy Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, shared her government's views on the role of IRENA in the collaboration, "IRENA has demonstrated the particular role in bringing knowledge to the global scale, especially to reach out to developing countries, where support is most needed."

IRENA 2024 Legislators Forum

This year's Forum is held under a theme "Building Blocks for a Renewable Future: Accelerating Progress Towards the COP28 Pledge." The forum is a crucial platform for global legislators to discuss advancing renewable energy within their regions, considering the urgent climate action needed and the ambitious COP28 pledge to triple global renewable energy by 2030.