GE and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have signed a partnership agreement on a strategy that would help with both energy security and combating climate change.
The agreement was signed during the just concluded 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) in Egypt by Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA and Roger Martella, Chief Sustainability Officer of GE.
With the collaboration, GE and IRENA have agreed to cooperate across several specific pillars including decarbonization, thought leadership, adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.
Commenting, La Camera said that any near-term shortfall in action will further reduce the chance of keeping 1.5°C within reach.
“We are acutely aware that scaling up renewable energy investments and de-carbonization technologies is more important today than ever,” he said. “Our collaboration with GE underlines how partnerships within the industry can and must serve our mission of supporting countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future. Together with forward-looking multinationals such as GE, we hope to accelerate progress and fuel global ambitions to achieve net zero,”.
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On his part, Martella said that the partnership was critical to solving climate change and energy security, adding that GE was honoured to partner with IRENA as a key stakeholder to achieve the shared goal of a just and ambitious energy transition.
He explained that GE is taking on the task of developing new technology to decarbonize the energy industry while making energy more dependable, accessible and sustainable for the 750 million people who lack access by using equipment that contributes to the generation of one-third of the world’s electricity.
Also speaking, Mohammed Mijindadi, President of GE Nigeria said that the agreement was a positive milestone for Nigeria given its desire to diversify its energy mix. He pointed out that GE’s Renewable Energy division offers technology and services that can boost the nation’s capacity for producing renewable energy, expand and optimize the grid infrastructure and make use of its cutting-edge digital service offerings for cutting-edge transformation.
Story was adapted from Vanguard.