The thirds WG meeting of Energy and Environment on Role and Functions of Energy Efficiency Fund (Agency) took place on 4th of November in the Ministry of Energy of Georgia.  Internal expert, Ms. Natalia Shatirishvili and international expert Mr. Artur Bobovnicky presented the recommendations on the existential problems in the field.

The meeting was moderated by Ms. Mariam Valishvili (Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Energy of Georgia) and Mr. Giorgi Mukhigulishvili (Senior Specialist at Think Tank “World Experience for Georgia”)

Bellow you can find the main features and findings of the meeting.

WG was highly represented by state and CSO institutions. Particularly, the key members were from the following institutions:

• Ministry of Energy of Georgia;
• Ministry of Environment of Georgia;
• Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia;
• GNERC;
• Embassy of Hungary to Georgia;
• EECGEO;
• WECF Branch office Georgia;
• GRASS;
• Green Alternative;
• WEG;
• And other participants from different civil and state institutions;

In general, the group members were actively engaged in the discussion. They were providing additional information and advices to the governmental representatives about the establishing effective and useful agency fund/agency for efficient use of energy.   WG members, especially MoE representatives specified and verified information (in some case Data) which were provided by internal and international experts.

Internal expert, Ms. Natalia Shatirashvili discussed within the group the world experience, particularly she did the case study of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Italy and Croatia in order to show the best practice of working of Energy Efficiency Fund (Agency).

Information about the meeting was spread through the web-pages and social-media by Levan Mikeladze Foundation, and Georgia’s Reforms Associates.

The main findings and challenges;

• The Agency can be established either under Ministry of Energy or Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, eventually transforming into an independent body Inefficient wood cutting practices, when wood residue is left in forests;
• Special attention should be paid to human resource policy of the Agency in order to attract and maintain qualified staff;
• The Agency should be transparent. Transparency is important for credibility and for attracting donor funds;
• Initial financial allocations should be done from the state budget, eventually transforming to financially independent body. Some portion of funding can still come from the budget but the major part should come from other sources;
• Agency should be “one-stop-shop” for industry and individuals to receiving all kind of information (e.g. energy audits, funding, technologies mix, etc.);
• The Agency can not only coordinate but also implement number of projects promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy funded by Donor organizations;