UAE and Germany fight for IRENA - June 29, 2009
Dark allegations are being muttered about the ongoing International Renewable Energy Agency meeting in Egypt.
The agency, known as IRENA, is not even up and running yet and already sources are reporting tiffs over where it should be sited and how much power (no pun intended) the nuclear industry should have.
Even before the meeting in Sharm El Sheik began today some were warning that the French government was backing a push by the United Arab Emirates to host IRENA in Abu Dhabi in order to ensure it was friendly to nuclear power.
“An IRENA located in Abu Dhabi under such circumstances would be ‘nuclear tainted’ because the negotiating process used to select a host country would be based on support for nuclear power,” Eric Martinot, of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, told the Huffington Post. “Are the original goals of IRENA being co-opted so that renewables become a mere appendage to a nuclear agenda – ‘sprinkling some renewables on top of our nuclear power?’”
Today the Guardian notes that Germany says it is still “very optimistic” that it will end up hosting the agency in Bonn, an option preferred by environmentalists.
However, the UK is apparently ready to back the UAE and Gulf News says the country’s delegation are “leaving no stone unturned” in their lobbying:
… members of the German delegation headed by Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel have acknowledged that the UAE's fierce campaigning and lobbying efforts mean that Abu Dhabi stands a good chance of winning.There are indications that the 40-strong German delegation did not expect the UAE to gather so much support so fast. Some delegates from African countries who spoke to Gulf News said they had been approached by Emirati delegations, but not German ones.
More
Gulf News special on IRENA
Gulf News editorial on why IRENA should be in UAE
Abu Dhabi’s The National on why the US should sign up
Huffington Post interview with Hans Jørgen Koch one of three nominees for Director General of IRENA
Image: stock photo / Getty
