IRENA director-general throws in the towel
Not yet 15 months into a 4 year term, Irena's head unexpectedly quits.
Still in its infancy, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is battling to stay afloat financially amidst a budget crisis. Compounding the agency's woes is the unexpected and unexplained resignation of its director-general, 39-year-old French national Hélène Pelosse.
Hélène Pelosse was selected to be IRENA's first interim Director General in January 2009 at the same meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in which Abu Dhabi was named the organization's interim headquarters. Now, some 15 months later, the director has called it quits. Both Ms. Pelosse and IRENA are keeping mum about the DG's reasons for leaving the organization.
IRENA will hold its 4th Preparatory Commission from October 24th to 25th in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Among the agenda items the 400 delegates from more than 100 countries will discuss are the continuing budgetary crisis and the selection of a new director-general.
According to Irena, "The current (budget) discussions are based on an $18 million budget. 38% of it will come from the Member States, 42% from the bid agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Finally, 14% will come from the German Bid and 6% from the Austrian Bid for the Bonn Innovation & Technology Center and the Vienna Liaison Office."
The trouble is the 38 % from the member states. The agency faces an $8.4 million budget shortfall for 2011 because some of its members, among them the U.S. and Japan, have yet to pay their dues.
IRENA will likely be scrambling to assemble a short list of candidates prior to next week's meeting. There is one bright spot on the agenda for the upcoming event, however. IRENA will present a prize to Greenlight Planet, the winner of its “Solar for All” Design Contest.
