Press Release, Berlin, 19 June 2009

The number of member states of IRENA, the newly founded International Renewable Energy Agency, has jumped up to 100. The number of people living in its member states and thus directly impacted by IRENA, rose to more than 3,2 billion people. More countries are expected to join prior to the next meeting of IRENA’s signatory countries at the end of June in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt). The US and Australia are expected to join soon.

„IRENA displays a certain magnetic quality for all those, who have realised that renewable energies are the key to the world’s future energy supply“, said Hermann Scheer, member of the German Parliament. „The number of more than three billion people in IRENA’s member countries is enormous. On day in the near future when fossil and nuclear energies are completely depleted, people worldwide will use renewable energy.“

IRENA was established in Bonn on 26 January 2009 by 75 countries. Next to Germany, Spain and Denmark, initiators of the Agency, signatories include Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, Nigeria, Austria, Poland, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Since then India, Kenya, Switzerland, Pakistan and numerous other countries joined.

The idea to establish IRENA can be traced back to Hermann Scheer. Over the last two decades, as Member of Parliament, president of EUROSOLAR and chair of the World Council for Renewable Energy, he has constantly argued for the establishment of a political institution in the form of an international governmental organisation for renewable energy. With the decision to bring the IRENA concept to life, the governments of Germany, Denmark and Spain jointly worked towards its establishment and have driven the idea forward during its last phase. IRENA will accelerate and coordinate the introduction and use of renewable energy worldwide. Like other countries, Germany is applying to host the seat of the agency and has entered this competition with the city of Bonn.

Find more on www.irena.org