January 26 to be observed as International Day of Clean Energy
The UN General Assembly has declared January 26 the International Day of Clean Energy, starting next year, in a move aimed at rallying the world to transition to new forms of energy production, according to media reports on Saturday.
The resolution to establish the day was co-facilitated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Panama, according to a statement by the Abu Dhabi-headquartered International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
The chosen date is also the anniversary of the agency’s founding in 2009. The announcement comes with less than 100 days to go before the start of the COP28 summit, which will run from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City Dubai, UAE.
The move signals that “energy transition has taken centre-stage to fight climate change, enhance human welfare and drive an urgent and systemic shift for increased energy access, reduced inequalities, improved energy security, and prosperous and resilient economies and societies”, said Irena director-general Francesco La Camera.
World leaders attending COP28 will attempt to tackle the escalating climate emergency by trying to agree on ways to halt global warming, adapt to a changing climate and decide on who should foot the bill for damage already caused.
“With COP28 in Dubai approaching, this UN decision highlights the need for a unified global approach to energy issues,” Irena said.
The resolution for the International Day of Clean Energy also comes against the backdrop of a series of extreme events this summer that scientists believe are linked to climate change.
The UAE will work with COP28 participants to triple the world’s renewable energy capacity and double the production of hydrogen by 2030, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure said last month.
The global energy transition is “front and centre” for the Emirates, which will help make a “concentrated push” to boost clean energy capacity around the globe, Suhail Al Mazrouei said.
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, is investing heavily in clean energy projects and has announced several initiatives as it seeks to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. As part of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, the country plans to invest Dh200 billion ($54 billion) by 2030 to ensure energy demand is met while sustaining economic growth. – Web Desk / News Agencies
