Experience in the Europe & CIS Region with Clean Energy -UNDP, GEF and UNECE

Experience in the Europe & CIS Region with Clean Energy -UNDP, GEF and UNECE
The sixth day of October 2016 was a historic day for global efforts to combat climate change. The Paris Agreement entered into force as more than 55 countries representing 55% of total global greenhouse gas emissions have now ratified the agreement. Entry into force of the Paris Agreement bodes well for the urgent, accelerated implementation of climate action that is now needed to realize a better, more secure world and to support also the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals which include helping countries significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions.

The ability of clean energy including energy efficiency and renewable energy to meet world energy demand and to transform economies while at the same time helping countries meet their climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement is widely acknowledged. In many countries, both developed and developing, energy efficiency has become the first fuel to meet rising energy demand and the first tool to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In their Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, many countries have identified improving energy efficiency and investing in renewable energy as the major measures to achieve their NDCg oals.

This brochure “Experience with Energy Efficiency in the Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)Region –the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),the Global Environment Facility (GEF)and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)”shows the important role that measures taken to improve energy efficiency can play in order to help countries with meeting their commitments under the Paris Agreement. First part of this brochure presents eight case studies of UNDP-GEF technical assistance projects in energy efficiency in eight countries in the region (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine) whereas second part of the brochure presents UNECE experiences related to energy efficiency in the region.