The sixteenth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency Assembly concluded on January 12th, following three days of deliberations that saw record participation of more than 1500 ministers, senior officials, business leaders and partners from around the world, underscoring the agency’s growing role in global energy policy.
Opening the assembly, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said the global transition to clean energy cannot be reversed and urged countries to strengthen their renewable energy strategies not only to address climate change, but also to boost economic growth, security and competitiveness. He said the economic strength of the future will depend on delivering clean, safe and affordable energy at the lowest possible cost, and that countries that move early will gain lasting productivity advantages. During the session, members adopted the agency’s work programme and budget for 2026-27, endorsed its medium-term strategy, and reaffirmed support for IRENA’s mandate, which now includes one-hundred-and-seventy-one members.
India featured prominently at the assembly, with Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi highlighting the country’s efforts to integrate renewable energy into agriculture and food systems. Addressing an inter-ministerial dialogue convened by IRENA and the Food and Agriculture Organization, Joshi said Indian farmers were increasingly becoming providers of both food and clean energy through the expansion of distributed renewable solutions. He said India’s PM-KUSUM scheme had installed nearly one million standalone solar pumps and solarised more than 1.1 million grid-connected pumps, adding over 10,200 megawatts of clean capacity. Joshi said renewable energy offered a unified response to challenges of energy access, climate action and rural livelihoods, and reaffirmed India’s readiness to deepen partnerships and scale solutions as part of the global energy transition.
India is a founding member of IRENA and has played an active role in shaping its agenda, including hosting the agency’s first innovation and technology centre and supporting capacity-building programmes for developing countries. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, IRENA is the only intergovernmental organisation dedicated exclusively to renewable energy and serves as a global platform for policy advice, technology cooperation and knowledge sharing.
