By Lwazi Dlamini
Addressing the IRENA Assembly on Tuesday, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Prince Lonkhokhela has stressed that there is an urgent need to increase investments in renewables deployment including infrastructure and interconnections.
The 15th IRENA Assembly is held in Abu Dhabi where Eswatini is also showcasing her Renewable Energy Progress.
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The Minister commended the work of IRENA and urged IRENA to continue supporting Member States in the development of Renewable Energy.
His Royal Highness first expressed appreciation to IRENA for the Work Programme and the Budget Report for 2024-2025 and expressed Eswatini’s gratitude for the role IRENA plays in strengthening and facilitating collaboration among Members and stakeholders and also for promoting strategic alliances.
The Minister also highlighted that developing countries especially in Africa still have difficulties in attracting financing and structuring bankable projects.
Continuing with his address, the Minister expressed gratitude to IRENA for its assistance in supporting countries with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3 toolkit and further urged the agency to extend this assistance to more countries, including Eswatini.
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In conclusion, the Minister shared an update on Eswatini’s progress in renewable energy development, aligning with IRENA’s monitoring of countries advancement in the energy transition.
This progress is also in line with the United Arab Emirates consensus of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
