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Energy for Sustainable Development Forum in Central Asia

The Third International Forum: Energy for Sustainable Development. Capacity building for energy efficiency and access to cleaner energy in Central Asia and neighbouring regions will be held at the Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan on 12-14 September 2012. The Forum is organized jointly by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF). This Forum is a follow-up to the International Energy Efficiency Forums held in 2010 in Astana, Kazakhstan and in 2011 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

 

The Forum is an illustration of the actions taken and commitments made by various stakeholders in the framework of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All declared by the UN General Assembly. It will contribute to reaffirming the commitments to sustainable energy, assessing progress made and identifying the gaps that still exist in implementing policies and legislation for facilitating market formation in energy efficiency (EE) and access to cleaner energy.


The Forum will focus on the following topics:
(i) sustainable energy in Central Asia and neighbouring regions: current status, barriers and opportunities as well as the role of the Governments and public sector in creating favourable environment for sustainable energy promotion;
(ii) energy efficiency in buildings and the housing sector: challenges, success cases and opportunities,
(iii) investments in energy efficiency and cleaner energy: ways to finance energy efficiency and cleaner energy projects;
 
(iv) the role of the private sector in promoting cleaner energy options in Central Asia and neighbouring regions.
 

The Forum will include a high-level segment with participation of ministers and officials of the government bodies responsible for energy and sustainable development in the countries of Central Asia and neighbouring countries. Participants are expected to issue a joint statement on the critical role that international cooperation can play in promoting EE and access to cleaner energy.

 

The plenary sessions on the first day of the Forum will consist of high-level round table and two sessions which will include keynote presentations and panel discussions with high-level officials from the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, Governments of other Central Asian and neighboring countries, representatives of the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations, representatives of international financial institutions, commercial banks, investment and industry companies, and energy efficiency experts.


Four parallel workshops will take place on the second day:
 
  • Legal and Regulatory Frameworks to Promote Energy Efficiency and Cleaner Energy in North and Central AsiaThis session is organized under a project funded by the Russian Federation which aims at supporting the development of legal and regulatory frameworks to promote energy efficiency and clean energy in North and Central Asia. Part of the project implementation is the development of a free online database of national laws, regulations and policies in the energy sector, energy efficiency and renewable energy of the project counties. Such database can serve as an information source for implementing analytical work and due diligence by potential project developers and investors. The workshop will introduce the Regional Study on the Comparative analysis of legal and regulatory frameworks for the energy sector in North and Central Asia (covering Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan).
 
  • Energy Efficiency in Buildings – This workshop will carve out key elements of a national strategy to transform EE of the building sector. The speakers will present policy guidelines, projects, tools and support networks to assist governments in establishing the legal and financial framework for energy efficient buildings. The workshop also provides a platform to exchange experience on energy efficient building practices in Central Asia and the neighbouring regions. The outcome of the workshop discussions will be reflected in a Casebook on good energy efficient housing practices in the UNECE region.
 
  • Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Advanced Fuel Technologies – This session will discuss such aspects as contribution of the reduced or avoided CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants to climate change mitigation, the role of advanced fossil fuel technologies in developing the electricity sector in Kyrgyzstan pointing out why foreign direct investment might be a part of the solution. The participants will also discuss macroeconomic, energy and other policy and regulatory changes necessary for Kyrgyzstan to become a prime destination for capital for electricity projects.
 
  • Case Studies on Energy Efficiency Financing and Promotion of Advanced Energy Efficiency Technologies – This workshop will discuss the impact of existing legislation and policies and the introduction of reforms on the promotion of EE investments; the role of national and local authorities and other governmental institutions in EE market development; and incentive mechanisms introduced for the promotion of financing of EE projects. Panel discussion 4 will focus on analysing the experience in application of advanced EE and RE technologies. It will produce recommendations to improve capacity of Central Asian countries to implement policies and practices favouring technological capacity-building and strengthening technological capabilities on advanced EE and RE technologies.
 

On the third day of the Forum participants will have a site visit to the Grigorievskoe Gorge.


For more information, visit: http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=29476

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