The Government of India organised the Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference (DIREC) 2010 on 27-29 October 2010. The theme of the conference was 'Up-scaling and Mainstreaming Renewables for Energy Security, Climate Change and Economic Development.' The support organisation for the conference, the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN 21), has just published the outcomes of the conference.
The institutional framework of the IRECs - DIREC 2010 is a follow-up event of an initiative created in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The previous International Renewable Energy Conferences (IRECs) were hold in Washington in 2008 (WIREC), Beijing in 2005 (BIREC) and Bonn in 2004 (Bonn "Renewables2004").
The IRECs are organised around different sessions that refelct the diversity of the participants: ministerial level plenary sessions, interactive ministerial sessions; interactive stakeholder sessions; joint ministerial and stakeholder sessions; break out sessions on cross-cutting issues; CEO roundtables; and diverse side events and trade show.
Forms of cooperation and discussion - The starting point for discussion was the roadmap elaborated by REN21 entitled the Delhi International Action Plan (IAP). The IAP is the main instrument of the whole process and is completed at each conference. It is structured around "pledges", that are non-binding commitments made by parties to the different stakeholder groups. This means that any party can submit a pledge. The organisers see it as "a powerful and flexible way to stimulate voluntary action on renewables." 374 pledges have been submitted as of today. Because DIREC 2010 was held in India, the submission of pledges focused on the deployment of renewable energy in rural areas was particularly encouraged. The implementation of the pledges made are controlled or assessed (more exactly) by a reporting system one year after submission. Good pledge and good implementation can be rewarded by an award at the next IREC. The Pledges Database is accessible here. The Database is indeed a rich source of inspiration and control for the adoption and implementation of RES policies, on a voluntary basis. 31 new pledges were addedd along DIREC 2010.
DIREC 2010 Declaration - DIREC 2010 also closed on the adoption on 29 October of the DIREC Declaration. The Declaration insists on the following:
- the growth in renewable energy generation has increased despite the financial and economic crisis, mainly driven by policy. As of the beginning of 2010. more than 100 countries had adopted renewable energy targets and/or RES support policies. This growth concerns both industrialised and developing countries: "more than half of the existing renewable power capacity is now in developing countries." (para.3)
- But much remains to be done: "The world has tapped only a small amount of the vast supply of renewable energy resources. For the upward trend of renewable energy growth to accelerate, technology development and policy efforts need to be taken to the next level, and large-scale private investment needs to be encouraged." (para.4)
- The recourse of RES will directly contribute to alleviate energy poverty, but also poverty itself for the achievement of the Millenniun Development Goals (MDGs) (para.5). The objective is there to reach universal access to modern energy services by 2030 (para.6).
- The conference called upon the United Nations to designate 2012 as the International Year of Energy Access (para.7).
- Investments in research, development and deployment (RD&D) should be reinforced (para.8).
- Capacity building will be crucial to concretise the objectives (para.10).
- "Public funds are instrumental in leveraging and incentivizing large-scale private investment in developing countries..." (para.11).
- Website of the conference, http://www.direc2010.gov.in/;
- REN 21 website dedicated to IREC and IAP.
- Norwegian Ministry of Energy and Petroleum press release on its participation.
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