The Jordanian capital hosted three regional UN-ESCWA meetings in cooperation with the National Center for Energy Research in Amman from 18 to 21 December 2006. They were: “Seminar on Follow-Up of Activities of the Regional Mechanism on the Development of Energy Uses for Sustainable Development”, “Regional Workshop on Energy Efficiency Labeling”, and “Regional Workshop on Clean Development Mechanism: Project Document Preparation in UN-ESCWA Member Countries.”

 

The aim of the seminar was to prepare national papers covering progress achieved in energy use for sustainable development in UN-ESCWA member countries that covered the development of strategies, policies, and plans adopted by each country towards energy efficiency and conservation using renewable energy applications and cleaner fossil fuel consumption. Participants included representatives of member countries in the UN-ESCWA Committee on Energy as well as national focal points for the Regional Mechanism.

 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, UN-ESCWA Team Leader of the energy Issues Team Mohamad Kordab said, “UN-ESCWA has mainly focused, since 2000, on promoting the efforts of its member countries to achieve sustainable development, with priority given to water and energy. Given the Commission’s chief objective in the field of energy of developing the role of this sector in achieving sustainable development, its work programmes contain numerous activities that are related. This is especially the case in energy efficiency and conservation, promoting the use of renewable energy, following up projects for power connectivity that are being realized, and working to transfer acquired skills to other member countries.”

 

The aim of the “Regional Workshop on Energy Efficiency Labeling” was getting experts and specialists in energy efficiency and conservation to exchange information and review national and global experiences in energy efficiency labeling.  Participants presented national papers describing and analyzing national plans and measures taken in the area of energy efficiency labeling. Five background papers prepared by UN-ESCWA in collaboration with national experts from the member countries were also presented.

 

The second workshop brought together people concerned with clean development mechanism in the energy and development ministries of UN-ESCWA member countries. Participants also included those experienced and interested in the topics proposed. The focus was on providing an overview of clean development mechanisms, the needs of projects in this mechanism, the design and preparation of forms related to these projects, and the relation of all this with the priorities of national sustainable development. The workshop also focused on the establishment of the Designated National Authority for Clean Development Mechanism (DNA), subjects related to financing mechanism projects and legal frameworks, and preparing documents for projects related to clean development mechanism in industry, energy production, and small enterprises.