OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2013. H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman & Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum, recently delivered a speech at the Third Session of the IRENA Assembly, which was held at the St. Regis Hotel in Abu Dhabi, reported the press-centre of Qatar Petroleum.   

The two-day assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) brought together ministers and senior officials from over 150 countries, and it primarily aimed to chart the way forward in doubling the global use of renewable energy by 2030.

H.E. Dr. Al-Sada’s speech focused on the programs and initiatives currently being implemented for the development of renewable energy in Qatar.

“Under Qatar’s National Vision 2030, set forth by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, we are committed in our efforts to develop clean energy and a sustainable environment through the responsible management of our hydrocarbon resources,” said H.E. Dr. Al-Sada.

“Since joining IRENA in 2010, Qatar has developed a strong renewable energy agenda and promoted the use of renewable energy sources through enhanced collaboration and knowledge sharing.  In partnership with IRENA, we have signed an agreement to collaborate on the Global Renewable Energy Atlas initiative, which will eventually produce and make available, high-quality renewable energy resource data,” he added.

Formally established in 2009, IRENA is the first major international organization to be headquartered in the Middle East, and its mandate is to promote the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy worldwide. IRENA currently has a total of 105 member countries, with 55 others serving as IRENA signatories or applicants for membership.

The State of Qatar officially became a member of IRENA in June 2010. At last month’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP18) in Doha, Qatar signed a Letter of Interest (LOI) to formalize its participation in IRENA’s Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy project.

On the sidelines of the IRENA Assembly, H.E. Dr. Al-Sada met with H.E. Mr. Alfred Rollen Carlot, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of the Republic of Vanuatu. Talks during the meeting covered issues of mutual interest as well as cooperation between the two countries, mainly in the energy and industry sectors.