Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, has been elected co-chair of the International Energy Agency for 2024. Ryan’s appointment comes as global efforts to tackle climate change intensify and countries ramp up their commitments to reducing carbon emissions. As a vocal proponent of renewable energy and sustainable development, Ryan’s leadership at the IEA is expected to drive a bold and ambitious agenda for the world’s energy transition. In this article, we take a closer look at Ryan’s background, his vision for the IEA, and what this means for the future of global energy policy.
Eamon Ryan, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in Ireland, has been elected as co-chair of the International Energy Agency (IEA), starting in 2024. The IEA is a global intergovernmental organisation that provides analysis and advice on energy policy to its member countries. The announcement of Ryan’s appointment was made by the IEA on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
Ryan will serve as co-chair alongside Fatih Birol, a Turkish economist who has been the executive director of the IEA since 2015. Birol said in a statement that he is “delighted” to have Ryan as his co-chair, and that he is “certain that his expertise and passion for the energy transition will be of great benefit to the IEA and its members.”
Ryan’s appointment comes amid increasing global concern around climate change and the urgent need to transition to renewable energy. The IEA has been a key player in shaping global energy policy in recent years, with a focus on helping countries to reduce their carbon emissions and achieve net-zero by 2050.
Ryan, who has been Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications since 2020, has long been an advocate for renewable energy and has played a key role in shaping Ireland’s climate policy. He has been an outspoken critic of fossil fuels and has called for greater investment in renewables, particularly wind and solar power.
In a statement, Ryan said he was “honoured” to have been elected as co-chair of the IEA, and that he looked forward to working with Birol and other IEA members to “accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.” He added: “We face an urgent climate crisis and we need to act quickly and decisively to reduce our carbon emissions and build a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous world.”
Ryan’s appointment has been widely welcomed by environmental groups and politicians in Ireland. Oisín Coghlan, the director of Friends of the Earth Ireland, said that Ryan’s appointment was “great news,” and that he was “delighted to see that Ireland will be taking a leading role in shaping international energy policy.”
Ryan’s appointment comes ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which is taking place in Glasgow this month. The conference will bring together world leaders and experts to discuss how to tackle climate change and accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions.
In addition to his role as co-chair of the IEA, Ryan will also co-chair a meeting of the agency in Dublin in 2023. The meeting will focus on the role of renewable energy in driving economic growth and reducing carbon emissions.
The IEA was established in 1974 in response to the OPEC oil crisis, and now has 30 member countries, including the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. The agency’s mission is to promote “secure and sustainable energy for all,” and it provides research, analysis, and policy recommendations on a range of energy issues, from fossil fuels to renewable energy to energy efficiency.
Ryan’s appointment as co-chair of the IEA is a sign of Ireland’s growing influence in the global conversation around climate change and renewable energy, and is a testament to Ryan’s leadership in this area. As the world grapples with the urgent need to transition to a low-carbon future, Ryan’s appointment is a reassuring indication that progress is being made, and that there are dedicated and determined leaders working to make a difference.
