7 June 2017: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), the world’s largest utility, agreed to enhance cooperation on advancing the energy transition under, inter alia, the Paris Agreement on climate change and China’s regional Belt and Road initiative.

Formalized on the sidelines of the Eighth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM8) held in Beijing, China, from 6-8 June 2017, the framework agreement includes opportunities for collaboration on activities related to integrating high shares of wind and solar, grid integration, interconnection and smart grids. The framework also features the initiation of technical cooperation in the context of IRENA’s Clean Energy Corridor initiatives and capacity-building activities on integrating renewable power in energy systems in developing countries. [IRENA Press Release on Cooperation Between IRENA and China] [China’s Belt and Road Initiative Webpage]

Also during CEM8, on 7 June 2017, IRENA launched a global company survey questionnaire on the corporate sourcing of renewables. The information from the survey, which was launched during the Corporate Sourcing of Renewables Day, will feed into IRENA’s forthcoming REmade Index, the first global reference index on voluntary corporate renewable energy purchasing for all end uses.

Findings from the corporate survey will be compiled together with results from the already completed survey among IRENA member States. Member States’ responses indicate that today’s enabling frameworks do not sufficiently take into account companies’ needs and drivers to ensure investment in renewables. [IRENA Press Release on Global Company Survey] [IRENA Company Survey Questionnaire] [Decision 1/CP.21 Adopting Paris Agreement] [CEM8 Website] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on CEM8]