International Energy Agency Implementing Agreements
Introduction
Since its creation in 1974, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has provided a structure for international co-operation in energy technology research and development (R&D) and deployment. Its purpose is to bring together experts in specific technologies who wish to address common challenges jointly and share the fruit of their efforts. Within this structure, there are currently some forty active programmes, known as the IEA Implementing Agreements. Almost three decades of experience have shown that these Agreements are contributing significantly to achieving faster technological progress and innovation at lower cost. Such international co-operation helps to eliminate technological risks and duplication of effort, while facilitating processes like harmonisation of standards. Special provisions are applied to protect intellectual property rights.
The IEA’s Implementing Agreements focus on technologies for fossil fuels, renewable energies, efficient energy end-use and fusion power. Effective dissemination of results and findings is an essential part of the mandate of each Implementing Agreement. Wide-ranging products and results are communicated by various means to those who can use them in their daily work. For its part, the IEA Secretariat circulates the on-line OPEN Energy Technology Bulletin, which includes news of the Implementing Agreements’ activities and output. The IEA also issues publications giving updates on the Implementing Agreements’ major achievements over past months.
Download the IEA Implementing Agreement brochure: http://www.iea.org/techno/framework_text.pdf
