The global energy transition enters 2026 with a dual message: renewable energies continue to break records, but progress is not evenly distributed, and without a coordinated acceleration, many countries will miss out on the benefits. This is the starting point of the 16th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), taking place from January 10 to 12, 2026 in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). It is positioned as the first major international energy event of the year.
The meeting, under the theme “Driving Humanity Forward: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity”, gathers over 1,500 participants — ministers, high-level delegations from the 171 Member States, CEOs, investors, international organizations, and youth representatives — with the goal of building a shared agenda and defining international cooperation priorities for the new course. In practice, IRENA aims to guide the debate and make it actionable: fewer generic statements and more mechanisms to deploy renewables at scale, with resilience and measurable results.
Networks, planning, and digital innovation: the “ceiling” is no longer just technological
One of the central pillars of the Assembly is a recognition that recurs in industry conversations: the problem is no longer solely generating renewable energy, but integrating it. IRENA highlights electric grids, energy planning, digital innovation, and Artificial Intelligence as “critical enablers” to ensure the transition moves beyond promises. The focus on grids is intentional. Electrification of the economy, deployment of new industrial demands, and the arrival of high-load loads — such as data centers and the AI industry — force a rethinking of how investments are made, how operations are managed, and how electrical infrastructure is reinforced.
In this context, digitalization begins to play a structural role: from demand forecasting and optimizing variable generation to predictive maintenance, flexibility management, and coordination of distributed assets. AI appears on the agenda not as a “trend,” but as a tool to accelerate decision-making and reduce operational friction, especially in systems where construction times and permits conflict with climate urgency and geopolitical volatility.
Finance returns to the center: from green capital to hard-to-decarbonize sectors
The Assembly also emphasizes the need to mobilize large-scale financing, including areas often overlooked in headlines, such as sustainable aviation fuels. The reason is clear: some sectors require specific levers and significant investments to reduce emissions, and the transition cannot be addressed solely with more wind and solar.
IRENA’s message underscores a sensitive point: even with renewable growth, progress remains “geographically uneven.” This means much of the 2026 debate will focus on designing a transition that is not only rapid but also just and delivers tangible benefits to developing economies, where energy resilience can be a matter of social stability and competitiveness.
Renewables for agri-food systems and green industrialization
Another key topic on the agenda is the potential of renewables to advance agri-food systems and green industrialization. Politically, this links the energy transition with employment, productive sovereignty, and food security. Technically, it opens discussions on process electrification, industrial heat, storage, green hydrogen, and hybrid solutions tailored to each region.
The agenda also includes forums and public-private dialogues that are crucial for translating high-level declarations into projects. After years in which the transition was often portrayed as a technology race, IRENA now promotes a more “ecosystem”-focused approach: regulation, financing, supply chains, grid operation, and real-world implementation.
“It’s time to give a global push”: the political tone of the Assembly
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera described the Assembly as a response to a more unstable world: geopolitical shifts, increasing climate impacts, and risks to energy resilience. His message emphasizes the need for a positive vision and a global push, but also acknowledges the Achilles’ heel: the uneven distribution of progress. In this regard, the organization aims to prioritize practical solutions and new approaches that unlock the potential of renewables as drivers of inclusive development and long-term resilience, in both developed and developing countries.
President of the 15th Assembly and Slovenian Minister Bojan Kumer reinforced IRENA’s role as an international cooperation platform and as a “clear voice” in uncertain times, highlighting its role as a pillar of the energy transition and sustainable growth.
From the upcoming presidency of the 16th Assembly, Bett Sotto, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Energy Transition of the Dominican Republic, emphasized a particularly relevant approach for SIDS (Small Island Developing States): transition and resilience as two sides of the same coin. Sotto cited initiatives like Sargassum-to-Energy as an example of how national determination combined with international cooperation can accelerate change. She advocated for a “just and sustainable” global transition that protects the most vulnerable.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week: the Assembly as a kickoff for a key week
Furthermore, the IRENA Assembly acts as the launchpad for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), scheduled from January 11 to 15. The timing is strategic: the sustainability agenda during the week serves as a showcase and meeting point for policymakers, business leaders, and investors — at a time when the energy transition is competing for capital, talent, and industrial capacity.
The Assembly highlights the High-Level Dialogue on January 11, titled “Reimagining the Energy Future: Ambitious Visions for Shared Prosperity”, coinciding with the World Energy Transition Day. Additionally, on January 10, ministerial and high-level sessions are scheduled to facilitate decision-makers’ interactions and guide future agency work.
With this structure, IRENA aims for more than just an institutional photo-op. The organization wants 2026 to start with clear priorities: accelerate grid development, operationalize financing, leverage digital innovation and AI, and connect renewables with industry and agri-food sectors. The challenge is significant: moving from record-breaking deployment levels to a deployment that is also balanced, resilient, and socially sustainable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IRENA, and why is its Assembly relevant to the energy transition?
IRENA is an intergovernmental agency dedicated to promoting renewable energy deployment. Its Assembly is its main decision-making body and is used to align priorities among Member States, the private sector, and international institutions.
Why is there a strong focus on grids and energy planning in 2026?
Because renewable growth requires integrating variable generation into electrical systems that, in many countries, need reinforcement, digitalization, and new investments. Without grids and proper planning, the transition slows, even if technologies are available.
What role does Artificial Intelligence play in IRENA’s energy agenda?
AI is seen as a facilitator to optimize grid operations, improve forecasting and flexibility management, support energy planning, and accelerate decision-making in increasingly complex systems.
How is IRENA’s Assembly connected to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW)?
The Assembly serves as the opening event for ADSW, a week dedicated to promoting sustainability initiatives, investment, and international cooperation involving public and private leaders.
via: irena.org