Composed of 21 IRENA Members, the Council meets twice annually to facilitate cooperation among Members, oversee implementation of the IRENA work programme and complete substantive preparations for the Assembly. On behalf of the Government Poland (Council Member) Dr Sebastian Stepnicki, Permanent Representative to IRENA, performed the relevant duties.
At the outset of the meeting, IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin presented the annual report of the Agency’s work. For the remainder of the Council meeting, participants discussed the draft work programme and budget for 2016-2017. Thematic sessions were held held on IRENA and renewable energy at COP21, scaling up renewable energy investments, power sector transformation and measuring progress through renewable energy statistics.
On the eve of the Council meeting, IRENA launched REthinking Energy – Renewable Energy and Climate, the second edition of the flagship series outlining progress in the transition to a sustainable energy future. The report found that achieving by Poland a 36 per cent share of renewable energy by 2030 would result in half of all emission reductions needed to maintain a two degree pathway. Energy efficiency measures could supply the rest.