Like the Bonn renewables 2004 Conference, the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008), which took place from March 4-6, 2008, invited conference participants to submit voluntary pledges to advance the uptake of renewable energy in their country, region, city or through their organisation. In partnership with the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), WIREC 2008 gathered specific, policy-oriented initiatives that will significantly increase the presence of renewable energy worldwide. In addition to the ministerial meeting, a co-located Trade Show, Industry Business Conference, and official Side Events at WIREC 2008 were organized by the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE). A complete list of the pledges made at WIREC 2008 may be found here.
WIREC 2008 was hosted by the United States government, with participation from numerous agencies, including the Departments of State, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, and Energy, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
An international platform for government, private sector, and non-governmental leaders to jointly address the goal of advancing renewable energy, WIREC 2008 was the third global ministerial-level conference on renewable energy, following events in Beijing in 2005 and Bonn in 2004. India has offered and been selected by the WIREC 2008 participants to host the next International Renewable Energy Conference in 2010.
