The role of Iraqi environmental legislation in supporting renewable energy according to international standards
Keywords:
Environment, renewable energy, international standards, national legislation.Abstract
The world is witnessing a rapid transition toward renewable energy as a primary means to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental legislation is a fundamental tool to guide and support this shift toward clean energy sources. This research analyzes the role of Iraqi environmental legislation in promoting the use and development of renewable energy, considering international standards and global legal frameworks. The study highlights Iraqi legislative efforts and evaluates the laws' and policies' comprehensiveness and effectiveness in supporting clean technologies—such as solar, wind, and hydropower—and their alignment with international environmental agreements and resource sustainability. It addresses several key aspects, including the current legal framework in Iraq concerning renewable energy, factors influencing the implementation of environmental laws, and practical challenges such as limited funding, inadequate infrastructure, and societal awareness. Furthermore, the study examines successful international experiences in renewable energy legislation, offering recommendations to improve and develop the Iraqi legal framework to align with environmental sustainability and economic development goals.
References
First/ Arabic references: -
1. Ban Quds Yousef Abdul-Rahman: The role of renewable energy in achieving sustainable development, Vol. 6, No. 3, Supplement 3, Journal of Sustainable Studies, Scientific Society for Sustainable Educational Studies, 2024.
2. Dr. Hala Salah Yassin Al-Hadith: The position of environmental legislation in light of the principle of presumed knowledge of the law, Issue 4, Anbar University Journal for Humanities, 2006.
3. Dr. Hello Muhammad Salih and Dr. Hatem Ghaeb Saeed: Renewable Energy between Investment Challenges and the Elements of Advancing Sustainable Development, Supplement to Issue (48), Eighteenth Year, Basra Studies Journal, 2023.
4. Omar Abdul-Jabbar Abdullah: Renewable energy, published lecture, Department of Environmental Technologies, College of Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Mosul, 2024.
5. Omar Thaer Thabet Al-Azzawi: Investor's Responsibility for Failure to Commit to Security, Dar Al-Jamiah Al-Jadida, Alexandria, 2020.
6. Saddam Faisal Kokaz Al-Muhammadi: Legal means to encourage investment in renewable energy production sources "A comparative study in light of international agreements and Arab national legislation", a research published in the Energy Conference between Law and Economics, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, 2013.
7. Zakaria Younis Ahmed Al-Azzawi: Future prospects for investment in renewable energy sources, Tikrit University Journal of Law, 2020.
Second/ English references: -
1. European Commission, Renewable Energy Directive, 2020.
2. John Smith, Renewable Energy Policy Frameworks: Global and Local Perspectives, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
3. Asian Development Bank, Renewable Energy in Developing Asia, 2021.
4. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy Statistics 2022, Abu Dhabi, 2022.
5. United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022, United Nations Publications, 2022.
6. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Policy Frameworks for Renewable Energy Development, Abu Dhabi, 2022.
7. European Commission, Renewable Energy Directive, European Union, 2020.
8. International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook 2022, Paris, 2022.
9. Japan Renewable Energy Foundation, Feed-in Tariff Program in Japan, Tokyo, 2020.
10. Korea Energy Agency, Renewable Energy 3020 Implementation Plan, Seoul, 2021.
11. Asian Development Bank, Renewable Energy in Developing Asia, Manila, 2021.
12. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India), National Solar Mission Report, New Delhi, 2022.
13. World Bank, Clean Energy Transition in the Middle East, Washington, D.C., 2021.
14. Green Climate Fund, Climate Finance for Renewable Energy Projects, Incheon, 2021.
Third/ Internet pages:
1. Iraqi Ministry of Environment: Environmental Legislation Collection in Iraq, available at the following link: https://moen.gov.iq/ar/legislation (10/1/2025).
2. Iraqi Ministry of Environment: Nationally Determined Contributions to Climate Change Document, Research and Studies Department, 2015. Available at the following link: https://moen.gov.iq/Portals/0/INDC-Iraq.pdf (12/12/2023).
