1 April 2011: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) en.lighten initiative has released the first issue of its newsletter, which contains information on taskforces, country lighting assessments, and action at the country level.

The newsletter features articles on: LED standards in India; a Brazilian energy efficiency lighting programme; and an update on en.lighten activities by Monique Barbut, Chief Executive Officer of the GEF. It highlights that four key task forces have been created to develop technical guidance and lighting expertise. The task forces are on: policy, regulation and finance; consumer and environmental protection and recycling; off-grid lighting; and country lighting assessment, market data and analysis.

On country lighting assessment, the newsletter notes that comprehensive assessments have been developed for 100 countries that have not yet made the shift to efficient lighting. It indicates that the en.lighten initiative is currently working on the second generation of assessments, which aim to provide a complete overview of the benefits of efficient lighting when used on a wide scale in the commercial and industrial sector. [Publication: en.lighten Newsletter Issue 1]