Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference
DIREC declaration:
29 October 2010
1. Ministers and Government Representatives from 71 countries participated in the Delhi
International Renewable Energy Conference 2010 (DIREC) with the aim of up-scaling andmainstreaming renewables for energy security, climate change and economic development.
DIREC is the fourth meeting building upon successful outcomes in Washington in 2008
(WIREC), in Beijing in 2005, and in Bonn in 2004.
2. We acknowledge the multiple benefits provide by renewable energy. Together with energy
efficiency, it provides energy access especially for the poor; creates economic and job
opportunities; improves air quality and moderates climate change; and enhances energy security
and sustainable development. In the last five years, the renewable energy sector has grownstrongly and steadily. Even in 2009, up against strong headwinds caused by the global recession,
lower oil and gas prices, and the lack of an international climate agreement, total investment hadincreased.
3. Besides finance, the growth in renewable energy has been policy driven. By early 2010, morethan 100 countries had some type of target and/or promotion policy related to renewable energy.
In addition, adoption of renewable energy is no longer confined to industrialized world-morethan half of the existing renewable power capacity is now in developing countries.
4. Despite the impressive growth in renewable energy adoption in the last five years, the challenge
is that its share in the world’s primary energy supply remains small and its adoption uneven. The
world has tapped only a small amount of the vast supply of renewable energy resources. For theupward trend of renewable energy growth to accelerate, technology development and policy
efforts need to be taken to the next level, and large-scale private investment needs to beencouraged.
5. A large proportion of the world’s population has remained without access to modern energy
services for too long. Depending upon the energy source in question (electricity for lighting,modern cooking fuel, etc.) anywhere between 1.4 billion and 2.7 billion people lack modern
energy services. The use of renewable energy sources will not only provide access, but also help
in the eradiation of poverty and in the achievement of the other Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).
6. The goal enunciated by the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climatechange (AGECC) of universal access to modern energy services by 2030 is commendable andshould be pursed by the international community and accorded a high development assistancepriority.
7. We support the designation of a Year of Access and call upon the United Nations to designate2012 as the International Year of Energy Access. We agree to work with governments,
development banks, the private sector and NGOs to achieve this objective.

8. In many of our countries, investments in targeted research and development in the energy sector
are much lower than in other comparable sectors of the economy and incommensurate with thescale of the task at hand. We reaffirm the importance of investments in research, development
ad deployment (RD&D) and of international cooperation in RD&D for more cost-effective andadvanced energy technologies.
9. It is only by significant scaling-up of renewable energy that will enter the virtuous cycle of costreductions followed by more significant scaling-up. We recognize that increasing the use ofrenewable energy faces several challenges but consistent and sustained government policies canand do have a favorable impact on technology development. Supportive frameworks,procurement policies, a level playing field, providing access to affordable long-term finance, allwill help increase the uptake of renewable energy. The integration and mainstreaming ofrenewable energy into national sustainable development strategies for poverty reduction,agriculture, education, health and family welfare, will further provide more opportunities forscaling-up.
10. We welcome and urge cooperative global action to strengthen human and institutional capacities
in developing countries. Long-term strategies for capacity building are required for policy
analysis and technology assessment, supporting development of technologies and related skills insourcing, marketing, installing, operating, maintaining, and serving renewable energy equipment
and in the sharing of best practices.
11. While there is no shortage of capital in the world, the challenge has always been how to scale up
private investment in clean energy in developing countries. Public funds are instrumental inleveraging and incentivizing large-scale private investment in developing countries through, forexample, guarantees, risk sharing, buying down interest, etc. The provision of fast-start funding
in the Copenhagen Accord, as well as existing multi-lateral and national funds, could catalyze
much larger private flows for clean energy in developing countries. Some of these resources
should also be provided for improving access to modern energy services in rural areas of thedeveloping world.
12. We welcome the Delhi International Action Programme that encourages governments,
international organizations, private companies, industry associations, and civil society
organizations to take voluntary action for up-scaling renewable energy within their jurisdictionsor spheres of responsibility. We request the Government of India to present an update of thesevoluntary actions at the next International Renewable Energy Conference being hosted by theGovernment of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
13. We express our sincere and deep appreciation and thanks to the people and the Government ofIndia for successfully organizing this conference and for their hospitality and generosity.