UNECE Global Energy Efficiency 21 Project (GEE21) launched during Poznań COP-14
Geneva, 18 December 2008 --
At COP-14 in Poznań, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) launched the Project “Global Energy Efficiency 21” – GEE21 – during the UN-Energy Side Event on “Energy Efficiency in the post-2012 Framework: Key Issues and Challenges” organized on 10 December.
GEE21 is designed to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations regional commissions on Energy Efficiency for Climate Change Mitigation by exploring how the valuable experience of the UNECE energy efficiency projects can be applied with UNECE assistance to the other regional commissions, especially to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific which shares common member States with UNECE. This new initiative takes advantage of the on-going work and achievements of the UNECE Energy Efficiency 21 Project on “Financing Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation” which promotes the formation of an energy efficiency market in Eastern Europe so that cost-effective investments can provide a self-financing method of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
The main objective 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 United Nations regional commissions in order to promote self-financing energy efficiency improvements that raise economic productivity, diminish fuel poverty and reduce air pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions. An initial phase of three years is financed by the Russian Federation.
A network of elected officers of intergovernmental bodies working on energy efficiency and climate change and the respective secretariats of the five United Nations regional commissions will facilitate the implementation of GEE21. The energy and climate change mitigation activities of the other regional commissions will initially be appraised to determine how they could respond fully to the transfer, adoption and local adaptation of activities such as those under the UNECE energy efficiency work programme. The intention is to increase the capacity of the regional commissions to provide effective energy efficiency services to member States that promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the project intends to provide a contribution to development, adjustment and implementation of a global strategy to promote self-financing energy efficiency improvements.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Gianluca Sambucini
Secretary, Committee on Sustainable Energy
UNECE Sustainable Energy Division
Palais des Nations
CH-1211, Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 1175
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 00 38
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/energy
Ref: ECE/SED/08/P07