The International Renewable Energy Agency has announced that its next director-general will be Italian national Francesco La Camera.
The announcement came during the ninth assembly of Irena — an intergovernmental organisation that seeks to promote the adoption of renewable energy — which took place this week in Abu Dhabi.
Mr La Camera will take office on April 4, succeeding Adnan Z Amin, who has been in office since 2011. The incoming head has been elected for a term of four years.
Mr Amin was also recognised for his outstanding contribution to the establishment by awarding him the honourary title of director-general emeritus.
They commended him for his leadership during the formative years of the agency, as well as his contribution to ensuring the agency carry out its mission of accelerating the deployment of renewable energy across the world.
Mr La Camera currently serves as the director-general for Sustainable Development, Energy and Climate at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea.
He has represented the country as part of a number of international delegations and at conferences around the
world on topics relating to the environment. From 2006 to 2008, he taught Sustainable Development at the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria in Calabria, and from 2003 to 2010 he was professor of Environmental and Land Economics at the Roma Tre University in Rome.
Government ministers and energy officials took to Twitter to welcome in the new director-general, and thank the outgoing one.
Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said that Mr Amin had made an "historic" mark in accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
My dear friend & brother @adnanzamin I thank you for your extraordinary role in advancing #renewableenergy deployment across the world. You have made a historic mark in accelerating #RE transition. Your phenomenal legacy shall remain as a remarkable #sustainability champion pic.twitter.com/RaI4lg9dH2
— د. ثاني الزيودي (@ThaniAlZeyoudi) January 13, 2019
Dutch ambassador to the UAE Frank Mollen said he looked forward to working with the new director-general and Dominique Ristori, the director-general of the European Commission, offered his full support.
#IRENA9A has elected a new Director-General for the Agency. Congratulations to Francesco @flacamera on your appointment. The Netherlands look forward to working with you and @IRENA to further the cause of #renewables in the global energy debate #sustainability pic.twitter.com/HpRpqovks1
— Frank Mollen (@frank_mollen) January 13, 2019
Congratulations and full support to Francesco La Camera @flacamera, just appointed as new Director-General of @IRENA | #IRENA9A pic.twitter.com/iHHpcaoo25
— Dominique Ristori (@ristori20) January 13, 2019
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