Interview with Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency
The Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) discusses accelerating the Middle East’s renewable energy future.
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As the global energy sector transitions toward renewables, the Middle East is positioning itself as a key driver of sustainable energy innovation. Francesco La Camera explores the region’s rapid renewable energy expansion, essential priorities for scaling up clean energy, and the importance of global cooperation in reaching net-zero targets.
With major advancements in renewable capacity, growing investments in green hydrogen, and efforts to modernize energy grids, the Middle East is poised to play a leading role in the energy transition. Here’s what the IRENA Director General shared about the road ahead.
Interviewer: As the Director General of IRENA, how do you view the role of the Middle East in accelerating the global transition to renewable energy, particularly in light of its ambitious sustainability goals?
Mr. La Camera: The Middle East is a key player in the global energy market, and as the energy landscape rapidly transitions toward a renewables-based system, the region must adapt to maintain its leadership. Nonetheless, we are seeing encouraging signs. In 2023, the Middle East’s total installed renewable power capacity grew by 17.5%, making it the second-fastest growing region in renewable power capacity. Though renewables still form a modest share of the region’s total power capacity, this growth signals a pivotal shift.
Looking specifically at the GCC countries, the progress is even more pronounced: renewable power capacity surged from 6.1 GW in 2022 to 10.6 GW in 2023, marking an impressive 75% year-over-year increase. This strong momentum reflects growing commitments to clean energy, but progress must accelerate significantly across the broader Middle East to meet climate and development goals.
Read the entire interview here.
Source: Energy & Utilities
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