VZCZCXRO0455
RR RUEHAST RUEHBZ RUEHDH RUEHDU RUEHHM RUEHJO RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHMR
RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHRN RUEHSL RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSA #0185 0281501
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281501Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1041
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0001
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 7526
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 1591
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9881

UNCLAS PRETORIA 000185 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/EGC - THOMPSON, AF/S - WALKE, EEB/ESC - 
MONOSSON 
DEPT PASS EPA/OIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG ETRD SENV SF KGHG
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA JOINS INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY 
AGENCY 
 
REF: STATE 073217 (09) 
 
¶1. (U) South Africa became an official member of the 
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on January 17, 
¶2010.  Elevating South Africa from observer country status, 
President Jacob Zuma authorized Minister of Energy Dipuo 
Peters to sign the statute enabling South Africa to 
participate as a full member of IRENA.  Minister Peters 
attended the third session of the organization's preparatory 
commission in Abu Dhabi on January 17, where IRENA's 2010 
work program, staffing, rules and budget were discussed. 
 
¶2. (U) On joining IRENA, Minister Peters said, "this is a 
pioneering development that will enable us to work with other 
countries to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy 
and to confront our vexing energy challenges". 
 
¶3.  (U) Richard Worthington, Climate Change Program Manager 
at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa 
welcomed the announcement, but also expressed the view that 
the South African government needed to do much more on 
renewable energy. 
 
¶4.  (U)  COMMENT: As described in reftel, the United States 
became a signatory of IRENA on June 29, 2009.  Renewable 
energy is an area of great potential for U.S. - South Africa 
bilateral cooperation and South Africa's decision to join 
IRENA is a step in the right direction. END COMMENT. 
GIPS