A New Energy Efficiency 21 Tool for Climate Change Mitigation
Geneva, 9 June 2006 -- The UNECE Steering Committee of the Energy
Efficiency 21 Project (EE21) has approved the new Project Plan for 2006-2009
to promote the formation of a market for energy efficiency and foster financing
for energy efficiency investments in countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus
and Central Asia (EECCA).
The next phase of the EE21 Project will: (a) accelerate regional networking
between national participating institutions and international partners, contributing
to regional cooperation on sustainable energy development; (b) promote municipal
level projects to enable local and concrete energy efficiency development
and meet treaty obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UNECE; and (c) develop and harmonize regional
policies and standards to introduce regulatory and institutional reforms needed
for the energy efficiency investments that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This new phase of EE21 is intended to enhance regional cooperation on energy
efficiency market formation and investment project development.
Opportunities for banks and commercial companies to invest in energy efficiency
and renewable energy projects will be facilitated through the development
of a new public private partnership investment fund. UNECE will contribute
mainly through provision of technical assistance. The UNEP/Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
will structure and prepare the investment fund under the leadership of a Lead
Private Investor.
The recent United Nations Foundation (UNF) supported “Energy Efficiency
Investment Project Development for Climate Change Mitigation” demonstrated
how to identify, develop and finance energy efficiency and renewable energy
efficiency investment projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions
in countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia . Investment
projects to reduce carbon emissions have been developed under EE21 since
2000 in Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Ukraine for
some US$ 60 million of proposals developed and almost US$ 15 million have
been financed with a total estimated CO2 saving of 136,000 tonnes per year
that could be compared to eliminating CO2 emissions of 68,000 cars!
On the basis of this experience, the EE21 network of partners have approved
the Project Plan 2006-2009 as a practical tool to transfer this initial
success in energy efficiency financing investments into a new project on
a much larger scale.
For further information please contact:
Gianluca Sambucini
Energy Efficiency 21 (EE21)
Sustainable Energy Division (SED)
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations, Bureau 348
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 (0)22 917 1175
Telefax: +41 (0)22 917 0178
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
http://www.unece.org/ie/ and http://www.ee-21.net
Ref: ECE/SED/06/P01