21 January 2013: The International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) latest newsletter highlights recent IRENA activities, meetings, publications and reports.

In the forward, Adnan Amin, Director General IRENA, discusses the third session of the IRENA Assembly, which convened from 13-14 January 2013, in Abu Dhabi. He describes it as an important occasion for setting the agenda for action on enabling the global transition to clean and sustainable energy.

The newsletter also reviews the first open-access international atlas of renewable energy resources, which went live on 13 January 2013 on the IRENA website, and will begin by tracking solar and wind resources before expanding to other forms of renewable energy. The newsletter also reports that Qatar has signed a statement of interest to contribute to IRENA’s global renewable energy atlas.

The newsletter further discusses the recently released IRENA handbook on nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs), aimed at enabling countries to strengthen clean energy capacities and meet their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The handbook illustrates how guidelines can enable developing countries to bring down barriers to renewable energy deployment.

Among other topics, the newsletter provides overviews of: the African Union Conference of Energy Ministers held in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, from 12-16 November 2012; IRENA’s fourth Council meeting, which convened in Abu Dhabi from 12-13 November 2012; the Renewable Energy Technology Project Development Guideline Initiative (REDGuide) for developing renewable energy projects; the Malta Communiqué, calling for accelerated renewable energy uptake, which was adopted during the Renewables and Islands conference in Malta on 6-7 September 2012; and the International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference held from 1-2 November 2012 in Accra, Ghana. [Publication: IRENA Newsletter] [IRENA Global Atlas for Wind and Solar] [Publication: IRENA Renewable Energy Handbook on Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for Policy Makers and Project Developers] [IISD Reporting Services meeting coverage of the IRENA Renewables and Islands Global Summit]