International Renewable Energy Agency

Context:

The World Energy Transitions Outlook report is brought out by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The latest report says, the COVID-19 crisis offers an unexpected opportunity for countries to decouple their economies from fossil fuels and accelerate the shift to renewable energy sources.

About:

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation
Mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.
It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialised and developing countries.
It was founded in 2009 and its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010.
The agency is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
The Director-General of IRENA is Francesco La Camera, a national of Italy.
IRENA is an official United Nations observer.

Aims

IRENA aims to become the main driving force in promoting a transition towards the use of renewable energy on a global scale:
Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will provide practical advice and support for both industrialised and developing countries, help them improve their regulatory frameworks and build capacity. The agency will facilitate access to all relevant information including reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, best practices, effective financial mechanisms and state-of-the-art technological expertise.
IRENA provides advice and support to governments on renewable energy policy, capacity building, and technology transfer. IRENA will also co-ordinate with existing renewable energy organizations, such as REN21.

Member states

The statute to gain IRENA membership requires that a state be a member of the United Nations and to regional intergovernmental economic-integration organizations. States that gain membership to IRENA must uphold the organizations statute to the best of its abilities.
As of March 2019, 160 states and the European Union are members of IRENA, and a further 23 are in the process of accession.
On January 9, 2019, Canada became IRENA’s 160th member.