The 2023 edition of the International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) was held in Madrid from 20th to 22nd February 2023, co-hosted by the Spanish Government and REN21.
Spanish International Renewable Energy Conference (SPIREC)
Called SPIREC for Spanish International Renewable Energy Conference, this international high-level policy conference held in Madrid brought together a wide range of players to exchange innovative and ground-braking ideas for accelerating the adoption of renewable energies on a global scale.
Despite the unprecedented global energy crisis and commitments to climate change, the energy transition is at a standstill. SPIREC aimed to make the biggest global energy crisis in history a game-changing opportunity to build a more secure, resilient – and sustainable – energy system, bringing a new economy. Over 60 high-level representatives, renewable energy top voices, and other sector leaders joined to exchange energy security and sovereignty with renewables, meeting the energy demand in all sectors or anchoring renewables at the heart of society, amongst other topics.
SPIREC Declaration
The SPIREC Declaration (the outcome document of SPIREC) clearly noted that participants are united with the sense of urgency to shift to renewables with people at the centre. Access the declaration here. The Declaration also serves as the basis for a SDG 7 Policy Brief which will be used as input to the energy session 12 July 2023 at the UN High Level Political Forum.
SPIREC Daily Reports
Discover our Daily Reports to capture main discussions and outcomes that happened at SPIREC:
Conference Programme and Tracks
The conference programme was built around five cross-cutting and interlinked tracks.
You can dive into the final program with the description of all tracks’ sessions here and look at the programme at a glance here.
- Track 1: Stable Energy Supply, Energy Security and Sovereignty with Renewables
This track addressed the foundations necessary to build a stable new energy order around renewables such as securing energy supply and the supply of materials and technology, developing infrastructure and strengthening global, regional and local supply chains.
- Track 2: Renewables: Meeting the Energy Demand in All Sectors
This track explored ways to meet the increasing energy demand in non-energy sectors like buildings, industry, transport and agriculture and the choices that can be made on the type of fuel including renewable power, thermal energy, or renewable-based fuels such as biofuels, green hydrogen, ammonia and synthetic fuels.
- Track 3: Seize the Opportunity: Building a New Economy with Renewables
This track explored the necessary industrial developments needed to ramp up renewables and how to ensure local and equitable value creation, and the rules that need to be changed.
- Track 4: People at the Centre: Renewables at the Heart of Society
This track looked into ways to inspire and build trust to make the energy transition “work” for all actors. It will also explore ways for players from government, industry and civil society to work together to reach this goal.
- Track 5: Innovation to Fast-track and Scale-up Renewables
This track looked outside the box for ways to trigger structural transformation in thought processes, business models, and creative solutions for the rapid scale-up of renewables.
