IRENA’s La Camera discusses global energy transition and COP28

​Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), features in the latest edition of ADSW Talks, where he discussed the renewable energy technologies needed to achieve climate objectives and highlighted the UAE's leadership in the global energy transition.

“Technology innovations is a very important aspect of our work, we made very clear in our most recent World Energy Transition Outlook 2022, that two main drivers in the energy transition are the electrification of the energy system and energy efficiency, so reducing the demand," La Camera told ADSW Talks, a series of digital talks hosted and managed by Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), where influential figures from across the sustainability sector share their perspectives on the most pressing sustainability challenges.

“The technologies that are enabling this transition are renewables, so the new system will be dominated by renewables and complimented by hydrogen, mainly green hydrogen, and sustainable biomass," he added. “Innovation is how to make these technologies work more effectively but we have now the technology we need to achieve the Paris Agreement goals."

The UAE “is making history" through its leadership in the global energy transition, La Camera stated in the ADSW Talks episode, highlighting the UAE's hosting of the COP28 United Nations climate change conference next year.

“The UAE is supporting climate action through action. In this country, we have 70 percent of the renewables in the Gulf region. It is a matter of fact that the UAE is leading the process, where the intention is not just to unplug the old system but to build the new one. The biggest renewable plants are here, [as well as] experiments and pilot studies in green hydrogen. They have already started to export ammonia to the east part of the world, so they are leading by example," La Camera said.

Regarding the next two upcoming COPs, he said: “The COP27 in Egypt will be a very important one and I think the countries are already working together. The Egyptian one will be the African COP. And the COP28 will be the one with the West talking to the East, and the North talking to the South. I am proud that we are starting to collaborate strongly with the UAE, and I think it will be a very important next two years to show the UAE's [sustainable leadership]."