Mission Innovation’s 24 member governments have approved the establishment of its Secretariat at the headquarters of the International Energy Agency (IEA), further strengthening collaboration between the two organisations. The IEA will now host the Mission Innovation Secretariat, a global government initiative dedicated to catalysing action and investment in the research, development, and demonstration of advanced energy technologies.

The decision places the Secretariat alongside several other global initiatives at the Paris-based IEA headquarters, the world’s leading authority on energy, and has been endorsed by the member governments of both Mission Innovation and the IEA. Mission Innovation, launched in 2015, aims to make advanced energy technologies more affordable, attractive, and accessible worldwide.

The initiative convenes annually at the Ministerial level, bringing together a network of governments and partner organisations under the leadership of its 24 Members, which include Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, welcomed the decision, stating, “I am delighted to welcome Mission Innovation to the IEA, and I would like to thank the Member governments of MI for their trust and confidence in conferring this responsibility on our Agency. It’s excellent news for international cooperation on energy technologies and will strengthen the work of both the IEA and MI as we work together to spur greater innovation worldwide to make energy more secure, affordable, and sustainable.”