The Diplomat
The Government of Spain has partnered with REN21 (Renewable Energy Agency for the 21st Century) to organise the next International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) in Madrid from 21-23 February 2023.
The event will be organised by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), an entity attached to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).
The IREC will be a series of high-level policy conferences focused on sustainable energy transition that acts as a common platform for leaders from governments, the private sector and civil society to jointly address the drive for renewable energy.
The conference, which will bring together more than 60 high-level representatives, including heads of state, prime ministers, ministers and other authorities, is also an opportunity to demonstrate Spain’s leadership in the commitment to renewable energies, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, headed by Teresa Ribera.
Ribera considers the holding of the IREC in Madrid to be a unique opportunity to accelerate the energy transition and boost the adoption of renewable energies. “Creating the necessary framework of acceptance requires a broad multi-stakeholder dialogue. It also requires bridging the gap between energy supply and demand,” she said.
The minister recalls that Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan establishes that 40% of funds must contribute to the fight against climate change and that 100% of funding must comply with the principle of “no significant damage to the environment”.
Ribera stressed that so far, more than 10 billion euros have been allocated to actions directly related to the energy transition, and affirmed that Spain is well placed to host such an event.
For his part, REN21 President Arthouros Zervos says: “Energy is deeply embedded in our societies and economies, which means that actors have diverse energy needs and can benefit from renewables in different ways.
“These benefits must be at the heart of defining the energy future. This approach is necessary to gain societal and market acceptance and, through this, political acceptance. IREC supports this process by bringing together a broad cross-section of stakeholders to discuss how renewables can support even broader sustainability goals.
The international exchange between all stakeholders offers a unique approach to deepen and broaden the debate on how to achieve an energy system that supports sustainable development and climate goals: moving from social acceptance to citizen participation, providing the necessary skilled human resources, the geopolitics of critical minerals, maximising industrialisation opportunities or the development of a strong green hydrogen chain, among others.
Spain has become a benchmark destination for the organisation of international meetings and events, with more than 1,000 attendees, and has demonstrated its strong commitment to advancing the green energy transition as co-host and host of the 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 25), which took place in Madrid in December 2019.
