Global Renewables Congress (GRC)

🔆 Renewable Energy in Tanzania: A Conversation with MP Jackson Kiswaga As part of our Renewables Diplomacy Initiative, the Global Renewables Congress had the pleasure of speaking with Jackson Kiswaga, Member of Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania. In this conversation, MP Kiswaga shared key insights on the future of renewable energy in Tanzania, highlighting the rapid growth of solar energy, the challenges of costly feasibility studies, and the country’s ambitious goal of achieving 80% renewable energy access for households. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our discussion! 📽️ Watch the full interview below and let us know your thoughts in the comments. #RenewableEnergy #Tanzania #SolarEnergy #JustEnergyTransition #GlobalRenewablesCongress Ali Gülcegün Marlene "Lena" D. Stefan Schurig World Future Council International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM), Tanzania

🌍 Action Needed: Parliamentarians & Governments Must Deliver on Strong Climate Commitments 🌍 All nations have an opportunity to submit first-rate climate targets by September - since only a handful have submitted their new NDCs by the February deadline. Under the Paris Agreement, Nationally Determined Contributions (#NDCs) will shape our collective and individual pathways to 2035, making them some of the most crucial policies of this century. Ambition alone is not enough. Supportive and enabling legislative frameworks will be key to success. Parliamentarians play a key role in ensuring NDCs translate into real action through legislation, oversight, and financing. Without strong political will and accountability even the best climate plans will fall short. 🌱 Now is the time for bold climate leadership. Governments, Legislators, the private sector, international funders and local communities must work together to turn climate targets into reality - for just and equitable development. Because the future of our planet depends on it.💡💚 #ClimateAction #renewableenergy #NDCs #Sustainability #NetZero Ali Gülcegün Stefan Schurig World Future Council Marlene "Lena" D. Photo credit: Karsten Würth via Unsplash

Part 3 of Our Exclusive Interview with Ramón Méndez Galain! 🌍 In this third and final part of our interview, Ramón Mendez Galain shares his thoughts on one of the biggest challenges in energy policy: ensuring continuity despite political shifts and party conflicts. ✅ How did Uruguay manage cross-party conflicts in its energy transition? ✅ What lessons can be applied in Latin America and other Global South countries? Méndez highlights his concerns about the lack of continuity in energy policies when governments change, emphasizing the need for broad consensus and institutional frameworks to keep the transition on track. #RenewableEnergy #ClimateLeadership #justenergytransition #Sustainability #Renewablesdiplomacy

🌍 NDCs as National Development Catalysts? 🇺🇾 In the second part of our interview with Ramón Mendez Galain, we explored the transformative potential of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in driving sustainable development. Méndez offers a compelling perspective, reframing NDCs as "National Development Catalysts" a shift that underscores their role not just in meeting climate goals, but in unlocking economic growth, innovation, and resilience. 📢 Watch the full discussion to hear his insights on how countries, including Uruguay, are aligning their NDC updates with broader development strategies. #RenewableEnergy #ClimateLeadership #justenergytransition #Sustainability #NDCs World Future Council Ali Gülcegün Stefan Schurig Marlene "Lena" D.

Spotlight on a Renewable Energy Champion Ramón Mendez Galain: A Climate Champion Leading Uruguay’s Energy Transformation 🌍⚡ Between 2008 and 2015, Ramon Mendez Galain served as Uruguay’s National Director of Energy, leading one of the world’s most remarkable renewable energy transitions. Under his leadership, Uruguay: ✅ Achieved 98% renewable electricity with up to 40% wind energy ✅ Reached 67% renewable energy in its overall primary energy matrix ✅ Attracted $5 billion in investments (10% of Uruguay’s GDP) ✅ Reduced electricity generation costs by 40% ✅ Created 50,000 jobs This interview is part of our Renewables Diplomacy Initiative, where we engage with experts and practitioners to explore how to deliver on the just energy transition - quickly and equitably. Stay tuned for more exclusive insights! In this first part of our conversation with Ramon Mendez, we asked: 🔹 What were the key factors behind Uruguay’s transformation? 🔹 How did Uruguay attract investment in renewables? Watch the video to hear insights from a true climate champion! 🎥 #RenewableEnergy #ClimateLeadership  #justenergytransition #Sustainability Ali Gülcegün Stefan Schurig Marlene "Lena" D.

Why are Members of Parliament and Legislators absolutely crucial to the #justenergytransition? They are key stakeholders who design the policies that 👉 create the legislative frameworks needed to reach 3x renewable energy 👉 identify gaps and barriers - to pave the way for faster uptake and more innovative, deployable solutions 👉 take a systemic look at what is needed to deliver on 100% RE aspirations faster and more equitably Their leadership ensures inclusive solutions will benefit communities, foster innovation, and address climate challenges directly - from the local to national level. Without Parliamentarians, effective #climateaction is not possible. #renewablesdiplomacy Photo credit to: Markus Spiske via Unsplash

🌿 Youth-Legislators Dialogue 2025: Driving Legislative Change for a Renewables-Powered Future During the Youth-Legislators Dialogue at the 15th IRENA Assembly, legislators and youth delegates came together for a candid exchange on how to advance the renewable energy transition through policy and innovation. With ambitious global goals discussions like these are critical in building stronger collaboration between policymakers and young leaders. A particularly compelling aspect of the session was hearing personal stories from Members of Parliament. Their experiences provided valuable insight into the challenges of policy-making and underscored the importance of long-term commitment to renewable energy. These reflections also served to inspire youth participants by showing how individual action, when supported by legislation, can lead to significant progress. Key topics discussed included: 🔹 How legislators and youth can work together to overcome challenges in achieving national and global renewable energy goals 🔹 Mechanisms to increase youth participation in decision-making processes 🔹 Examples of youth-led initiatives and how legislative frameworks can support their scaling 🔹 How MPs can balance climate action with electoral considerations, ensuring they continue to advance meaningful change while responding to voter needs As we wrapped up, there was a clear recognition that while dialogue is important, ongoing collaboration and practical actions will be essential to realizing a renewables-driven future. Legislators have a key role in creating enabling environments, and youth bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. Sustained cooperation between both groups is crucial for progress. We sincerely thank Hon. Bärbel Höhn, Hon. Rosa Galvez, Hon. Jackson Kiswaga, Mr. Ramón Mendez Galain, and Mr. Stefan Schurig Schurig for their insights, as well as all the youth delegates for their thoughtful contributions. This session highlighted that while challenges remain, there is significant potential for shared solutions. Going forward, fostering collaboration across generations will remain a key priority. #YouthEngagement #LegislativeAction #EnergyTransition #Renewables #IRENAAssembly #GlobalRenewablesCongress #SDG7 #ClimateAction

🌍 Legislators Forum l Legislative Pathways for the UAE Consensus 🌎 Moderated by the incredibly eloquent John Defterios, and opened by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s Francesco La Camera and @Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi, Vice-President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union , we were thrilled to help organise the 2025 IRENA Legislators Forum. This year’s discussion engaged legislators on how best to integrate renewable energy and energy efficiency targets into updated NDCs. It explored pathways that closely align with the UAE Consensus on tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. Special thanks go to @Bärbel Höhn, Stefan Wenzel of Germany, Senator Rosa Galvez of Canada, @Hon Jackson Kiswaga of Tanzania, and Ramón Mendez Galain Mendez of Uruguay for sharing their relevant and actionable insights. Some of our key takeaways: 🔸 Private capital is key to moving the just energy transition forward. 🔸 Parliamentarians are crucial to creating the frameworks that will create and unlock mechanisms to integrate private capital into these efforts. 🔸 NDCs are more than plans that are due to fulfill commitments – they are in fact National Development Catalysts that can move countries forward to achieving 100% renewable energy and development goals. 🔸 Derisking investments remain an important aspect that requires contextualised and adaptable solutions. If risk remains high, private capital will be too expensive. Feasibility studies can be helpful. 🔸 Look at countries like Uruguay, who have achieved nearly 100% RE without storage to see what approached can be applied and shared across countries. To find out more and learn from the other insightful presentations in this session please visit and watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/e46VQvBW   Stefan Schurig, Marlene "Lena" D., Ali Gülcegün, @Maria Boada Riccardo Toxiri

🌍✨ Youth Voices for the Global Energy Transition | Highlights from the IRENA Youth Forum ✨🌍 Today, the Global Renewables Congress (GRC) was proud to attend the IRENA Youth Forum: The New Generation of Decision Makers in Abu Dhabi. As part of our engagement, we spoke with inspiring young delegates to hear their perspectives. The passion and ideas shared by these youth leaders highlight the critical role of young people in shaping renewable energy policies and driving climate action. From more ambitious NDCs to greater inclusion in decision-making processes, their insights reflect a deep commitment to achieving a sustainable future. We’re excited to share a short video 🎥 featuring these dynamic voices. Hear directly from the next generation of decision-makers and join us in amplifying their call for action! #IRENA2025 #YouthLeadership #RenewableEnergy #GlobalEnergyTransition #NDCs #ClimateAction #JustEnergyTransition #GRC Thaynara F. Hadiza Abdulmumini Josh Oxby Guilherme Castro

The Global Renewables Congress (GRC) at the 15th IRENA General Assembly!  From 10-14 January 2025, GRC will join practitioners, policymakers, and experts in Abu Dhabi to advance the global energy transition. 💡 Our Focus: 🔸 Amplifying Parliamentarians' Voices to support the goals of Tripling Renewables and Doubling Efficiency by 2030. 🔸 Our days are filled with exciting discussions:  Marlene "Lena" D. will take part in the IRENA Coalition for Action Meeting and will speak on a panel to help push the policy agenda for a just energy transition   Ali Gülcegün will join the IRENA Youth Forum: Engaging with youth delegates to learn their priorities for the renewable energy legislative agenda.  Our Chair, Honourable Bärbel Höhn will be speaking 2025 IRENA Legislators Forum: Shaping Legislative Pathways for a Just Energy Transition. We are thrilled that we could support IRENA in co-organising this session.    🔸 Building Partnerships: Connecting with friends, partners, and collaborators to drive actionable solutions. If you are there, please reach out to Marlene "Lena" D. Ali Gülcegün or Stefan Schurig. We would love to share and learn with known and not-yet-known partners!    Parliamentarians play a crucial role in crafting policies, championing just transitions, and ensuring robust implementation of NDCs. We are proud to be a part of the IRENA conversations to shape the legislative pathways needed to meet global climate commitments. ✨ Follow us for updates, insights, and outcomes as we work toward a renewable future! ✨ #IRENA2025 #RenewableEnergy #TriplingRenewables #EnergyEfficiency #YouthLeadership #ParliamentaryAction #JustEnergyTransition