Every year on January 26, the international community celebrates the International Clean Energy Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution A/77/327 in 2022.
This day aims to raise global awareness of the importance of a rapid and equitable transition to renewable and clean energy sources, and to support collective efforts to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goal 7: providing affordable, reliable, and clean energy for all.
This year’s celebration comes amidst escalating climate challenges and remarkable technological advancements in solar and wind energy, making it an opportune moment to reaffirm that clean energy is a strategic tool for economic development, national security, and social justice.
The Syrian Future Movement sees this day as a historic opportunity for Syria, recovering from decades of conflict and environmental neglect, to transform clean energy into a cornerstone of its national vision for reconstruction and sustainable development. Syria, with its enormous solar potential (average solar irradiance ranging from 5 to 6.5 kWh/m² daily in most areas, with up to 8-10 hours of sunshine daily in the central and eastern regions), is capable of making a qualitative leap towards a sustainable energy model that addresses the chronic challenges faced by its citizens.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that establishing clean energy values in Syria is an urgent national necessity for the following reasons:
- Achieving energy independence and national security. Excessive reliance on fossil fuel imports exposes the country to global price fluctuations and geopolitical pressures. Transitioning to renewable energy – especially solar and wind – reduces this dependence and strengthens energy sovereignty during the critical reconstruction phase.
- Addressing the chronic electricity crisis and ensuring social justice. In most urban and rural areas, electricity supply does not exceed 2-4 hours per day, with outages sometimes lasting 12-20 hours. Decentralized clean energy solutions (home solar panels, solar pumps for agricultural irrigation, and community microgrids) provide reliable and affordable energy, especially for remote areas in Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Hasakah, Daraa, Idlib, and Rural Damascus, thus reducing the urban-rural divide and promoting regional equity.
- Adapting to climate change and mitigating its direct impacts, such as recurring droughts, declining water levels in the Euphrates and Orontes rivers, and accelerating desertification, threatens food security and population stability. Clean energy also supports adaptation through sustainable irrigation projects, efficient cooling, and reduced emissions, protecting agriculture and water resources.
- Driving economic development and creating sustainable employment opportunities, the renewable energy sector generates intensive jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and innovation. Therefore, given Syria’s high solar potential (reaching 1800-2000 kWh/m² annually in most areas), we believe significant international investment can be attracted through the Green Climate Fund, the World Bank, and partnerships such as those recently signed with global companies to develop multi-gigawatt capacities.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for embedding the values of International Clean Energy Day in national policies through the following actions:
- Setting ambitious and binding national targets in the National Reconstruction and Sustainable Development Plan, including achieving a minimum of 30-40% renewable energy in the electricity mix by 2035.
- Launching a comprehensive national program for residential and community solar energy, supported by full tax exemptions, low-interest or nominal-interest loans, and technical support for low-income families and returning displaced persons.
- Encouraging partnerships between the public and private sectors and international organizations to develop wind energy projects in coastal and desert regions, and small-scale, environmentally sustainable hydroelectric projects.
- Integrating environmental and energy education into the primary school curriculum and launching large-scale national awareness campaigns to promote a culture of responsible consumption, energy conservation, and resource preservation.
- Establishing an independent national renewable energy authority responsible for planning, regulation, and ensuring transparency in the allocation of projects and investments.
The Syrian Future Movement reaffirms its full commitment to supporting every effort that makes clean energy a truly accessible and affordable right for every Syrian citizen, from the far northeast to the far south.
We also believe that the transition to sustainable energy is not merely a response to international obligations, but an expression of national will to build a modern, just, and forward-looking state, where clean energy is a symbol of hope, independence, and dignity.
The Syrian Future Movement calls upon Syrian youth, engineers, businesspeople, and local communities to actively participate in awareness campaigns and field initiatives for clean energy, for we are all the foundation of Syria’s future.
