Skip to main content

Energy for Sustainable Development Forum in Georgia

The Fourth International Forum: Energy for Sustainable Development will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia on 17-19 September 2013. The Forum is organized jointly by the Government of Georgia, 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). This Forum is a follow-up to the International Sustainable Energy Forums held in 2010-2012 in Central Asian countries. It supports objectives of the UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy for All Initiative. Over 200 delegates from more than 25 countries have registered for participation in the Forum.

 

The Forum will explore policies and legislation needed to support energy efficiency improvements, access to cleaner energy, financing energy efficiency, and energy efficiency in buildings and infrastructure. Forum participants will discuss the necessary conditions for enabling and encouraging investments in energy efficiency and sustainable use of energy. Presentations on relevant experiences and good practices from Europe, Asia and other regions of the world will enrich these discussions. Participants will also look at the environmental benefits of wider application of energy efficiency and cleaner energy.

 

The Forum is designed for policy makers and experts in the field of energy efficiency and sustainable use of energy, as well as in the fields of economic and social development, environmental protection, governance, financing, and energy and utility infrastructure development. It will include a High-level round table with participation of ministers and officials of the government bodies responsible for energy and building sector in the countries of the Caucasus, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe, Central, Northern, and South-Eastern Asia. Participants of the round table will discuss main challenges and emerging issues in promoting sustainable energy in Caucasus, Central Asia and neighbouring regions and discuss the role of Governments and public sector in formulating and implementing policy reforms and promoting international cooperation for enhanced energy security and the sustainable use of energy.

The plenary session “Energy efficiency in the housing sector” will inform the participants about international programmes and frameworks for energy efficiency in the residential sector and discuss how they support governments’ efforts to promote energy efficiency. The UNECE – UN-Habitat – City of Vienna joint report “Good practices for energy-efficient housing in the UNECE region” will be presented. Participants of the plenary session “Investments in energy efficiency and cleaner energy projects in the context of climate change mitigation and sustainable development” will discuss financing options for energy efficiency projects and cleaner energy technologies and the role of Governments and private sector in market formation for cleaner energy development.


Four thematic workshops will be organized in the framework of the Forum:
1) Policies and Legislation to Promote Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Technologies in the Caucasus region;
2) A Road Map to Energy Efficient Residential Sector;
3) Case Studies on Policy Reforms to Promote Financing Energy Efficiency Investments and Advanced Energy Efficiency Technologies;
4) Sustainable Energy Challenges and Opportunities in Countries in Transition.

Participants are expected to issue a joint statement on the critical role that international cooperation can play in promoting energy for sustainable development.

 

On the third day of the Forum participants will have a site visit to a company producing energy efficient equipment for construction sector.

 

For more information, visit: http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=32843.

If you wish to subscribe to the UNECE Weekly newsletter, please send an email to:  [email protected]

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Information Unit

Tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 12 34

Email: [email protected]

Reproduction is permitted provided that the source is acknowledged.