Media Release by Clean Energy Council
REN21, the Australian Government, the South Australian Government and the Clean Energy Council today announced Adelaide, South Australia, has been selected as the host city for the Australia 2024 International Renewable Energy Conference (AUSIREC).
AUSIREC, held in April 2024, will bring together international Heads of State, Prime Ministers, Ministers and more than 3500 delegates to share the latest developments in renewable energy and plan for a renewable energy future.
Held biennially since 2005, the International Renewable Energy Conference is one of the world’s leading renewable energy events. With previous conferences having been held in Beijing, Washington DC, Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Cape Town, Mexico City, Seoul, and Madrid this year, the selection of Adelaide as the host for the 2024 event is a testament to the strength of Australia’s renewable energy industry and South Australia’s strategic vision.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, said that the selection of Adelaide as the host of IREC 2024 is well-deserved recognition of Australia’s status as an emerging clean energy superpower.
“The Australian renewable energy industry is globally renowned for its clean energy transition, including leading the world in per capita rooftop solar installations and the rapid development of an emerging clean hydrogen export industry,” he said.
“South Australia is at the forefront of this transition, with the state the only gigawatt-scale grid in the world that regularly produces enough wind and solar power to meet all its energy needs.
“Hosting IREC 2024 in Adelaide presents a fantastic opportunity to not only showcase the Australian renewable energy industry to the world but also provides a practical demonstration of the immense possibilities of a clean energy future,” Thornton said.
AUSIREC will be the first time an IREC conference has been held in Oceania. As a result will place a strong focus on regional participation, particularly from Pacific Island nations. These countries have been leading the call for increased action on climate change for many years and stand to benefit directly and indirectly from the renewable energy transition.
Having leading voices from these nations involved in the conference will bring a unique perspective to AUSIREC and will serve to sharpen the focus of all delegates on the urgency of accelerating the global clean energy transition to reduce the impacts of global climate change.
Another key focus of AUSIREC will be the importance of First Nations Peoples to the global energy transition. As the home of the oldest continuing living culture in the world, Australia has a strong commitment to ensuring that its First Nations Peoples are included and benefit from the move to renewable energy. This theme will be a key part of AUSIREC 2024 as we look to include the voices of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and explore how to best consult and involve First Nations Peoples in the deployment of clean energy.
Quote attributable to Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen:
“The future of energy in Australia and the world is renewable, and sharing the latest knowledge with international partners and experts will help make that vision a reality.”
“Australia is on the path to becoming a renewable energy superpower. Forums like IREC will help us continue to work with global partners, the Pacific and First Nations, to address key challenges in renewable energy and find the best path to a clean energy future for all.”
Quote attributable to South Australian Department for Energy and Mining Chief Executive Dr Paul Heithersay:
“South Australia is the only sub-jurisdictional member within REN21’s international membership, and we are very proud of this”.
“The opportunity to host the event in Adelaide further strengthens the state’s renewable energy credentials, and the support from our own state government and from Tourism Australia is a significant achievement.
“The ability to host this globally recognised event is a real testament to South Australia – and vital for the state’s visitor economy. Three thousand five hundred delegates descending on the city next year will not only allow us to showcase our state’s clean green credentials but allow us to show what our state has to offer beyond renewable energy.”
Quote attributable to Tourism Australia Executive General Manager Commercial and Business Events Robin Mack:
“We are very excited that Adelaide has been selected as the host city for the 2024 International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) and proud to have supported their bid to host the event through the Bid Fund Program.”
“This latest win demonstrates the Bid Fund Program’s support in the critical bidding phase to help build a steady pipeline of future large-scale international association meetings and incentives to Australia, which are a key part of our visitor economy.”
Quote attributable to REN21 Executive Director Rana Adib:
“Renewable energy delivers reliable, affordable energy services and supports development and climate objectives. It also creates opportunities for local income and jobs. But moving away from fossil fuels and building up renewable energy as the backbone of economy and society requires deep structural changes. It is also imperative to include stakeholders from across society to shape these new rules.”
“We welcome the joint leadership of the Commonwealth of Australia, South Australia and the Clean Energy Council in accelerating this transition. We look forward to co-hosting the next IREC with Australia to anchor the global policy multi-stakeholder dialogue process in this needed transition.”
