  If your neighbors just finished a successful home-improvement project, you might ask them for advice before undertaking a similar project. This common-sense approach—replicating someone else's success—is the motivating force behind the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), a coalition of progressive governments, businesses, and organizations that helps governments work together to meet their own sustainable energy objectives on their own timetables. e-FFICIENCY NEWS posed some questions to REEEP International Director Marianne Osterkorn.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Who is REEEP, and what makes it unique from other organizations?
Marianne Osterkorn: The REEEP stands for the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership. We are an international partnership, based in Vienna, focused on stimulating the marketplace for energy efficiency and renewable energy via successful policies, regulations and financial models. Our mandate is replication, and this can only be achieved through the collaboration of governments, businesses and NGOs to identify and replicate successful policies and financial models which support clean energy and energy conservation.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Why does REEEP focus on the partnership between renewable energy and energy efficiency?
Marianne Osterkorn: We focus on both the supply and demand sides of energy. It makes no sense to have one without the other. For example, if renewable energy were to become 7% of a country’s energy mix, we need to ensure that the clean energy produced goes farther and reaches as many buildings and factories as possible. Sustainable development requires the efficient use of resources, and the REEEP is the only energy partnership that is focused on both energy efficiency and renewables. The other reason that energy efficiency is so important is its effectiveness. Renewables are getting a lot of attention at the moment due to oil prices, the European Emissions Trading Scheme and the Kyoto Protocol. However, it can take up to five years to get a new clean energy power plant live and generating green kilowatts. So, while we are keen to support generation from waste, solar, wind and small hydro, we need to make an impact now. Energy efficiency can be implemented immediately, with immediate impacts through reduced carbon emissions and operating costs. The importance and value of energy efficiency should not be underestimated. e-FFICIENCY NEWS: How does REEEP address the broader goals of sustainable development through this partnership of renewable energy and energy efficiency?
Marianne Osterkorn: The REEEP rose out of the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. Our entire Work Programme is concentrated on principles of sustainable development, and thus our goals to promote clean energy and energy conservation. For example we are supporting the Gold Standard CDM/JI project methodology which promotes sustainable development within the Kyoto framework. All of our projects must achieve at least two of the Millenium Development Goals and we are actively providing input into the CSD and follow-up to the Bonn diplomatic processes. Currently our largest donor is the government of the United Kingdom, and we are benefiting from its current leadership of the G8, which will extend in July to Presidency of the European Union. The UK government is an ardent promoter of the REEEP as part of the G8’s agenda on Africa and climate change. We are extremely keen to facilitate policies and regulations which ensure access to sustainable energy for the world’s rural poor, and are grateful for the support we receive from the UK , Austria, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United States.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: REEEP has a number of regional Secretariats. Where do you see the biggest regional gaps in renewable energy and energy efficiency development and how is REEEP addressing them?
Marianne Osterkorn: It’s difficult to pick a gap when you consider the growth in population and GDP across the world, and compare that to the incredible demand for natural resources which has occurred in the last two years. As I mentioned earlier, energy efficiency is critical as fossil fuel power must last longer and go farther. Particularly since so many developing nations are 100% dependent on foreign energy supplies. Even President Bush recently mentioned the need for increased energy efficiency to ensure that U.S. fuel stocks last longer. One cannot ignore the impact of China and the recent phenomenal growth experienced in that country and across parts of Asia. When you consider that 2 million cars were added to the streets of Beijing last year, or that a new power station is built almost weekly, the demand for energy in the world’s most populous country is staggering. Energy efficiency is paramount in any rapidly growing economy as there isn’t enough power available to support economic growth. So, these countries are faced with difficult decisions such as building large scale hydro facilities. If energy efficiency were effectively implemented, the construction of power stations could be avoided or at least alleviated. I am not singling out the ASEAN region, as energy efficiency can have enormous impacts in developed economies of Europe and North America. Great Britain has recognized the role of energy efficiency in helping them reduce their carbon emissions and in conserving natural gas which is now imported after years of exports. Energy efficiency makes business and economic sense – it’s that straightforward.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Recently Canada, Mexico and South Korea joined the REEEP as partners. How is REEEP soliciting new members and funding, and what role will these new country partners play in REEEP outreach activities?
Marianne Osterkorn: We are always trying to engage new partners amongst government, business and the NGO sectors. Of course we were extremely pleased when South Korea, Canada and Mexico agreed to join the REEEP and it occurred at the G8 Energy & Environment Roundtable in March. As I mentioned earlier we are benefiting from the diplomatic efforts of all our partners to attract new members to the partnership. In many respects, partnerships are becoming a new form of global diplomacy where members can set their own agendas and work together to promote and replicate successful models and to tailor them to local needs. For example Mexico joined the REEEP for a variety of reasons, including the need to launch their wind industry. Mexico would not only benefit from the assistance of REEEP and its partners, but once successful models of policy and finance are identified, Mexico is keen to share them with other countries, in order to support sustainable energy efforts. In fact, last year we funded a project to replicate in the Philippines a successful ESCO model that was developed in Mexico. e-FFICIENCY NEWS: How has REEEP integrated the private sector into its renewable energy and energy efficiency activities and what role will businesses play in the implementation of your programs?
Marianne Osterkorn: We are currently conducting workshops to identify methods to better engage the private sector into our activities. Since our work is in many respects “behind the scenes” – meaning that we are working with governments to identify and implement policies and regulations which are in support of renewables and energy efficiency – it is sometimes difficult to tangibly see our products and services. Our goal is to create market conditions which foster business development around clean energy. If the laws can be in place which reduce risk, and more importantly, which can attract capital, then the global energy efficiency marketplace can take off. This would mean massive economies of scale, as the private sector would have to fill the demand for renewable and energy efficient technologies. REEEP’s role is to create the market, not to fulfill demand. Our primary activities in the private sector are working with the financial community to attract investment into renewables and energy efficiency. We are providing seed funding to several new private equity funds targeting clean energy in India, China, Brazil and Southeast Asia. Our work to engage the financial community is supported by our regional secretariats. We are sponsoring two major events in June: the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York City which is coordinated by our North American Secretariat, ACORE; and the Renewable Energy Finance Conference in Hong Kong which is being coordinated by our East Asia Secretariat, CREIA. If we can lower investment risk through the implementation of new policies and regulations, then our work with engaging the finance community will become much easier. e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Are there any national energy efficiency programs that you feel are particularly good models for developing countries to follow and if so, what steps do you envision taking to help other countries adopt similar programs?
Marianne Osterkorn: We have several projects currently in progress to identify projects for replication. In May, we will announce another 18 projects which will receive funding. Half of these projects are focused on energy efficiency. This year we are going to increase our efforts to identify appropriate energy efficiency models for scale-up and replication. We hope to have another call for projects in May and it is our intent to shift the focus of this call from renewables over to energy efficiency. In order to facilitate the exchange of information and experience of our partners, we will be launching our Information Clearinghouse database next month. Like all information systems, the database is only as good as the information submitted by partners. Thus, we will begin a campaign to encourage all partners to contribute to the clearinghouse in order to have a library of models which can have relevance to a particular region or regulatory framework. Of course, we work closely with the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) and their knowledge and experience is an invaluable asset to the partnership. ASE will be assisting the REEEP with identifying energy savings within the water industry and within district heating systems.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Does REEEP have a preference for voluntary or regulatory approaches to promoting energy efficiency market transformation?
Marianne Osterkorn: As a partnership focused on the global transformation of energy production and usage, we do not support any one method. That would be imprudent and irresponsible. There are a variety of approaches towards energy efficiency and market transformation is heavily dependent on existing laws, regulations and local scenarios. The REEEP supports global exchange of information, and solutions which meet the needs of a local, regional or national government. Of course we are in favour of standardization and harmonization of laws, to facilitate trade in renewable energy technologies. For example, the DOE, along with APEC, is assisting us in the development of an energy efficiency standards network for the ASEAN region. Standards are essential both for sharing and comparing experience, and for attracting investment.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: What Does REEEP hope to focus on over the next 5 years and accomplish by 2010?
Marianne Osterkorn: We have set ourselves ambitious goals for the next year. We would like to improve the policy framework for renewables and energy efficiency in at least three countries and help establish one functioning fund. It’s important for us also to continue to expand our networks for financiers and regulators and to establish new financing models. |
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