World Renewable Energy Agency to Suggest Plan for Moving Away from Fossil Fuels

World Renewable Energy Agency to Suggest Plan for Moving Away from Fossil Fuels

January 19, 2026

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is preparing a detailed global strategy to help countries shift away from fossil fuels and expand renewable energy use, ahead of the COP31 climate summit set to be held under the leadership of Australia and Turkey later this year. Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General, told representatives of the agency’s 170 member nations that the roadmap will outline practical steps for reducing fossil fuel dependence while boosting clean energy deployment.

The proposal, expected to be shared with the COP31 presidency, would provide a structured framework for nations to follow as they phase out fossil energy sources and transition to renewables. It is designed to support the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and will be linked to IRENA’s Energy Transitions Outlook 2026 and other reports tracking progress on renewable capacity and energy efficiency targets agreed at COP28 in 2023.

La Camera emphasized that without significant changes in current energy pathways, the world risks missing crucial climate goals, making the roadmap for fossil fuel transition a central focus of IRENA’s work in the coming months. The plan is expected to include electrification targets and steps to increase renewable energy use in power and other sectors.

At the COP30 climate talks in Belem, Brazil, around 80 countries supported the idea of crafting such a roadmap, although some major fossil fuel producers opposed the concept. IRENA’s approach aims to balance climate ambition with practical national energy needs, potentially offering a model acceptable to a broad range of countries, including those in groups like BRICS.

Experts say the roadmap could encourage greater international cooperation on clean energy transition and help align national policies with global climate commitments, especially as nations prepare for the next round of climate negotiations at COP31