LÉON, Mexico--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa, president of Mexico announced in the presence of Hélène Pelosse, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), that Mexico will sign the statute of IRENA. The president made his announcement at the Global Renewable Energy Forum “Scaling-up renewables” in Léon, Mexico. Calderón underlines: “IRENA can now count on Mexico”. Mexico will be the 138^th country to join IRENA.

Today around 20 percent of Latin America’s total energy supply comes from renewable sources, mainly from sugarcane waste, biomass and geothermal energy. 23 percent of Mexico’s total energy supply is renewable with 19 percent coming from large hydro. The country is aiming at a 26 percent target in 2012, mainly by scaling up the production of wind power. Pelosse congratulates Mexico on the decision to join IRENA: “We have to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. It is symbolic that an important oil producing country with such abundant renewable energy potential like Mexico joins IRENA.”

IRENA was established as an international governmental agency by 75 countries in January this year – to date 137 countries signed the statute. IRENA's main objective is to actively promote the rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale.

*Source: ME NewsWire