GEE21 - Sustainable Energy

GEE21

Inter-regional project:

Global Energy Efficiency 21 Project (GEE21): Cooperation between the UN Regional Commissions on Energy Efficiency for Climate Change Mitigation

In November 2008, the ECE Committee on Sustainable Energy mandated the Global Energy Efficiency 21 Project to transfer the experience of the energy efficiency projects in the ECE region to other regions of the world. The goal of the project is to develop a more systematic exchange of experience on capacity building, policy reforms and investment project finance among countries of the other regions of the world through their UN Regional Commissions in order to promote self-financing energy efficiency improvements that raise economic productivity, diminish fuel poverty and reduce environment air pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions. The expected accomplishments are to increase the capacity of the regional commissions to provide effective energy efficiency services that promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to member States, as well as to improve capacity to develop, adjust and implement a global strategy to promote self-financing energy efficiency improvements.

The project aims to develop a more systematic exchange of experience on capacity building, policy reforms and investment project finance among countries of the other regions of the world through their UN Regional Commissions in order to promote self-financing energy efficiency improvements that raise economic productivity, diminish fuel poverty and reduce environment air pollution, such as greenhouse gas emissions.

Main Activities

Strengthening of the cooperation of the 12 participating countries in the project ‘Financing Energy Efficiency for Climate Change Mitigation’.
Dissemination and, if possible, extension of the project ‘Financing Energy Efficiency for Climate Change Mitigation’ in other UNECE member countries.
Increase in capacity of the UN Regional Commissions to provide effective energy efficiency services that promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to member states.
Improvement in capacity to develop, adjust and implement a global strategy to promote self-financing energy efficiency improvements for climate change mitigation.

Projects

Meetings

Recent developments

The recent developments of the Global Energy Efficiency 21 were presented at its first meeting on June 4 2009, during the 20th Session of the Steering Committee of the Energy Efficiency 21 Project by staff members from each UN Regional Commission, regional experts selected by the respective Regional Commissions as well as by experts from international organisations and regional networks.

Download here the draft timetable

Contact

Mr. Viktor Badaker, Project Manager GEE21

Email: viktor.badaker@unece.org

Background InformationA global consensus seems to be emerging that energy efficiency is the most effective method of mitigating climate change. This is because there is a vast potential for efficiency improvements to reduce CO2 emissions which can be implemented very quickly, cheaply and reliably. This consensus can be seen in a number of recent statements and declarations of senior government officials.Within the UNECE Region, Environment ministers, at the ‘Environment for Europe’ conference in Belgrade in 2007, specifically welcomed the UNECE project on Financing Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation, agreeing to consider participation as public-sector investors in its energy efficiency investment fund. The project aims at promoting the formation of a market for energy efficiency in 12 Eastern European, South-eastern European and Central Asian countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The present project is designed to explore how the valuable experience of the UNECE energy efficiency projects can be applied with UNECE assistance to the other Regional Commissions, especially to ESCAP (which shares common member states with the ECE).