A. General Objective
General Objective: Enhance regional cooperation on energy efficiency market formation and investment project development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in economies in transition.
Immediate Objective 1: Accelerate regional networking between national participating institutions and international partners by enhanced Internet communications for value added information transfers on financing energy efficiency projects and training, contributing to regional cooperation on sustainable energy development and debate to mitigate global energy security risks.
Output 1.1 Energy Efficiency 21 Website: www.EE-21.net
Activities: Strengthening and sustainable development of the EE21 website with the following features:
1.1.1 Multilingual English and Russian versions with reports posted in both languages;
1.1.2 Expanded links to other websites;
1.1.3 On-line distance training on project finance and the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms;
1.1.4 On-line portfolio of investment opportunities and other related services.
Output 1.2 Networking should be strengthened to comprise in-depth information exchanges and discussions during project meetings, seminars and related events.
Activities:
1.2.1 Organization of specific seminars to develop and strengthen networking activities and information exchanges;
1.2.2 Training workshops organized to harmonize specific tools for networking activities;
1.2.3 Specific advisory services provided for policy reforms and institutional capacity building to facilitate exchange of information and development of awareness on the link between energy efficiency and climate change mitigation.
Immediate Objective 2: Promote municipal level projects to enable local and concrete Energy Efficiency development, also strengthening reforms, skills and capacities needed for investment projects that meet international environmental treaty obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and ECE.
Output 2.1 Municipal Level Projects.
Activities: Facilitate and promote capacity building at municipal and local technical expert level to identify, develop, finance and implement Energy Efficiency projects and enhance public and private partnerships for investment opportunities, through:
2.1.1 A Study to define terms, definitions, units of measurement and templates suitable for project selection and standard presentation of energy efficiency and/or renewable energy investments developed within the framework of EE21 work;
2.1.2 Training seminars to enhance awareness from the part of national government ministries and local authorities as well as from the private sector regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy issues, particularly from the perspective of creating a non-distorted energy market;
2.1.3 Training on financing energy efficiency investment projects to create local expertise in preparing bankable proposals, including those procedures related to the implementation of Flexible Mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol;
2.1.4 Creation of an Investment Project Pipeline. This is one of the main efforts to promote government and municipal authority incentives to investors, as well as public private partnership for the identification, development, financing and implementation of energy efficiency and renewables investment projects, including biomass energy projects, and coal mine methane (CMM) projects in South-Eastern Europe (SEE) and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) region;
2.1.5 Development of an enabling business environment featuring new financing mechanisms including emissions trading instruments.
Output 2.2: Development of a new public private partnership investment fund.
Activities: Promote opportunities for banks and commercial companies to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects through the development of new public private partnership investment fund, mainly through provision of technical assistance to structure and prepare the investment fund under the leadership of a Lead Private Investor.
Immediate Objective 3: Develop and harmonize regional policies and standards to introduce the economic, institutional and regulatory reforms needed to support energy efficiency investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Output 3.1 Broad analysis of policy reforms needed to support energy efficiency investments.
Activities: Complete a study on policy reforms needed to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments and reduce fuel poverty. An analytical report will include identification of specific policy, regulatory and institutional ‘bottlenecks’ to energy efficiency and renewable energy market formation and analysis of how policy reforms could transform economically attractive investment projects into bankable projects. Case studies will provide examples of overcoming specific barriers to improving energy efficiency and use of renewable energy through policy reforms.
