On May 3, 2023, the 6th Meeting of the Collaborative Framework on Hydropower of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was conducted online. The virtual event brought together key industry figures, including Francesco La Camera, Director Generalof IRENA;Roland Roesch, Director of IRENA's Innovation and Technology Center;Eddie Rich, CEO of the International Hydropower Association (IHA);as well as representatives from the chairing nations of the Collaborative Framework. Wu Wenhao, Executive Vice Chairman and Secretary General of IF-CSHE, represented CSHE at the meeting and delivered a speech. The meeting was chaired by Michael Palusku, Director of Renewable Energy and Electricity Policy at the Ministry of Natural Resources of Canada, and saw participation from 83 representatives belonging to 46 organizations.

Wu Wenhao expressed his appreciation for the invitation from IRENA and provided an overview of the 2023 International Hydropower Development Conference that took place in Beijing on April 18. He underscored the pivotal role of hydropower in the global energy transition, particularly emphasizing pumped storage as akey pillarfor future energy systems due to its technological advancement, economic feasibility, extensive development potential, long-term storage capabilities, minimal environmental impact, and its crucial role in facilitating the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources into grid-connected power generation. Wu Wenhao emphasized the significance of policy and technological innovations in stimulating investments and advocated for expediting approval and planning processes for pumped storage hydroelectricity in the context of energy transition and challenges posed by global climate change. He also shared China's successful experiences and valuable insights in the large-scale development of pumped storage, aiming to raise international awareness and recognition of China's leadership in this domain while urging for global collaboration to advance pumped storage development and collectively address climate change challenges.

Throughout the meeting, the chairing countries presented their respective key focuses, challenges, innovations, and solutions in hydropower development. Roland Roesch highlighted the framework's achievements over the past two years, Eddie Rich provided a comprehensive overview of global hydropower development, Carlos Ruiz, an IRENA project officer, shared research outcomes in the framework's thematic areas, and all participants engaged in discussions on the forthcoming key focus areas, models, and plans.

IRENA established the Collaborative Framework on Hydropower in 2020 to expedite the sustained deployment of hydropower for the global renewable energy transition through dialogue, collaboration, and coordinated actions. To date, IRENA has organized six Collaborative Framework Meetings on Hydropower with participation from industry associations and financial professionals from over 100 countries. Costa Rica and Switzerland previously served as the chairing countries for the 2020-2022 term, with Canada and Zimbabwe set to assume the role for the upcoming term.