The International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) brought representatives from business, governments, civil society, science, and academia, all of whom participated in discussions and debates with the objective of building collective know-how to advance renewables at the international, national, and sub-national levels. The IREC was hosted by a national government and was held biennially. The Government of Spain had teamed up with REN21 to organize the next IREC. SPIREC was held in Madrid from 21-23 February 2023.

At the international SPIREC Conference, the opportunity existed to set up a policy dialogue between African and European role players in a context where extensive networking and broader dialogue were possible. Broader dialogue and brainstorming might have included deliberations on the design of an African Green Deal and how to redesign the rules of the international order to allow for Just Energy Transition in Africa.