25 October 2013: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held a workshop, titled ‘Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy,’ that aimed at improving social acceptance of, and dispelling misconceptions around, renewable energy. Participants at the workshop agreed to create a “coalition for action” to strengthen public opinion over renewables.

The workshop, held from 7-9 October in Abu Dhabi, UAE, stressed the importance decision-maker and private sector communication with the public about their concerns, and participants drew out lessons from successful experiences with such activities. The workshop held sessions on, among others: the importance of overcoming misconceptions; lessons from existing debunking efforts; collaborating on dispelling misconceptions; innovative methods to tackle misconceptions; defining roles and modes for the Global Coalition for Action; environmental impacts & land use; and socio-economic effects. Presentations and other documents from the workshop are available at the following link. [Workshop press release and documents]