The overall objective of the regional meeting of GFSE was to enable a dialogue on identifying potentials and addressing barriers for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, examining policy and institutional frameworks as well as financial mechanisms, and exchanging experiences and best practice.
29 April 2011: The Regional Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE) was held from 28-29 April 2011, at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in Vienna, Austria, under the theme “Energy between Danube and Caucasus – The Role of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency as a Key Issue for Economic Development.”
The regional meeting of GFSE sought to enable a dialogue on identifying potentials and addressing barriers for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, examining policy and institutional frameworks as well as financial mechanisms, and exchanging experiences and best practice. Special attention was given to regional approaches, cooperation initiatives and involvement of investors.
The meeting consisted of plenary sessions on financing energy efficiency and renewable energy sources experiences and good practices, and the state of play of renewable energy resources and energy efficiency in the focus regions. In addition, two panel sessions and four parallel sessions were held on: enabling investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency; streamlining project development in renewable energy and energy efficiency; regional approaches for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency; and developing policy and institutions for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Participants included representatives from government agencies, international institutions, business and industry, academia and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). [IISD RS Coverage]