UAE backs energy geopolitics body

Steam rises from the cooling towers of the coal power plant of RWE, one of Europe’s biggest electricity and gas companies in Niederaussem, north-west of Cologne, Germany. (Reuters)

LONDON: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on Sunday launched the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation.
It was set up with the support of the governments of the UAE, Germany and Norway.
The Commission will examine the immediate and longer-term geopolitical implications of global energy transformation driven by large scale-up of renewable energy, IRENA said in a statement.
It comes as Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week kicks off in the UAE.
The aim is to explore that transformation in the context of global efforts to tackle climate change and advance sustainable development.
The Commission will be chaired by Olafur Grimsson, the former president of Iceland.
“The global energy landscape is witnessing rapid and disruptive change that will have far reaching effects on geopolitical dynamics,” said Adnan Amin, IRENA director-general. “Renewable energy resources are abundant, sustainable and have the power to significantly improve energy access, security and independence.
“At the same time, the large-scale deployment of variable sources of renewable energy such as solar PV and wind, is fostering greater cross-border energy trade and cooperation between nations,” continued Mr. Amin. “Understanding these changing dynamics in a way that informs policy makers, will be the primary goal of the commission.”
While most geopolitical analyzes of energy related issues have focused on conventional fuels such as oil and gas, the Commission will review the implications of the ongoing global energy transformation underpinned by the surge in renewables, IRENA, said.