The International Renewable Energy Agency held the first session of its Assembly as a fully-fledged international organisation in April 2011. This article aims to introduce the Agency and provide a basis for ongoing academic comment, discussion and analysis as the Agency establishes itself and progresses its substantive work. The paper will briefly outline the origins of the Agency, its institutional arrangements and key elements of its Statute, and consider the first budget and work programme. The paper will note some points of interest that warrant further discussion before outlining the Agency’s activities to date and assessing the potential contribution the Agency can make to the development of renewables.