Masdar chosen for IRENA headquarters

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has chosen an unlikely location for its headquarters – a mirage in the desert.

Near the city of Abu Dhabi, the carbon-neutral city of Masdar is being built. It will run entirely on solar and wind energy, and allow no cars; the streets will be only ten feet wide. Electric rapid transit will transport people underground and overhead. A solar-powered desalination tank will provide drinking water. The city’s grey water will be collected and used for irrigation. Waste-to-energy plants are in the works. Looking at all of this, it’s no wonder IRENA chose Masdar for its headquarters –it just hasn’t been built yet.

The announcement has raised a few eyebrows and provoked quite a few questions. Is it greenwashing on behalf of a small country with an enormous footprint? Is it insurance for oil companies, if they believe the fossil fuel era is winding down?

Time, as it always does, will tell. Masdar itself isn’t scheduled to be completed until 2012. Until then, construction will be monitored closely by the World Wildlife Fund and BioRegional to verify it walks the sustainable talk.

For what it’s worth, the WWF and BioRegional are optimistic. Both have already endorsed Masdar as a “One Planet Living Community.” That designation means it will only use its “fair share” of resources as determined by them.

That really should be no problem, if Masdar really becomes a zero-emissions, zero-waste city.