Several years of erratic energy prices followed by the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression have fuelled even more talk of energy alternatives in capital cities around the world.

Against the background of this volatility, a diverse group of nearly 100 countries have come together to establish the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). These countries, from every continent, will convene tomorrow in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, finally to agree on a location for the agency’s headquarters, and to appoint a director-general. 

The decisions reached in Sharm el Sheikh will reverberate in both the developed and developing worlds. With world energy consumption projected to increase by 50 per cent by 2030, Irena will become the world’s policy-making body...