The International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA launched the world's first Global Renewable Energy Atlas on 13 January at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate UAE.

The launching of the Global Atlas was to coincide with the opening of IRENA's two-days Third Assembly 13-14 January.

Tonga's Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano led a 9-members Tongan delegation to the Third Assembly, although Tonga is not yet a signatory to the 'Statement of interest for the Global Renewable Energy Atlas'.

IRENA stated that the Global Atlas is a comprehensive information platform on the potential of renewable energy. It provides resource maps from leading technical institutes worldwide and tools for evaluating the technical potential of renewable energies. It can also function as a catalyst for policy development and energy planning, and can support investors in entering renewable energy markets.

Renewable energy databases mainly focus on specific aspects, such as physical information on insulation or wind speed. Other databases feature economic and policy frameworks such as support mechanisms for renewable energies.

The Global Atlas integrates all aspects and information needed, from resources to potential and includes accompanying information such as socio-economic data, policies and support mechanisms, and infrastructure data. Through a growing partnership and new measurements, the Atlas will be continuously expanded.

The project currently charts solar and wind resources across the globe, but there are plans to expand its focus over the coming years to include information on all sources of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydropower, as well as having a longer term ambition to include data on marine energy.

The thirty-nine countries that have declared their support for the development of the Global Atlas by signing the 'Statement of interest for the Global Renewable Energy Atlas' are: Albania, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Germany, Grenada, Honduras, India, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lithuania, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tunisia, UAE, Uganda, UK, Uruguay, USA, and Yemen.

The Global Atlas aims to help both governments and business assess national renewable energy potential, especially in areas where existing information is insufficient to enable informed decision-making.

The Tongan delegation returned to Tonga on 19 January.

Whilst in Abu Dhabi, Lord Tu'ivakano called on HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE  Minister of Foreign Affairs; and on HE Mr Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Secretary-General of the Emirates Competitiveness Council. He also had a bilateral meeting with Mr Kiuchi, the Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.