EU supports Azerbaijan to yield the multiple benefits of energy efficiency

EU supports Azerbaijan to yield the multiple benefits of energy efficiency EU supports Azerbaijan to yield the multiple benefits of energy efficiency https://innews.media/en/news/id-5572

Energy efficiency is the most important pillar of clean energy transition and considered the “first fuel” in EU’s energy policies. Energy and energy efficiency are key areas of cooperation between EU and Azerbaijan. The EU is continuously supporting Azerbaijan in its efforts to pursue energy efficiency policies since 2017 when the first draft of the Law on efficient use of energy resources and energy efficiency was prepared within the EU4Energy project.

Following the adoption of the Law in 2021, during 2022 EU financed the project ‘Support for further improvement of energy efficiency in Azerbaijan’. A team of international and national experts worked jointly with the Ministry of Energy to develop secondary legislative acts on energy efficiency in buildings, eco-design and energy labeling as stipulated in the Law.

The effective enforcement of these regulatory acts would help the Government of Azerbaijan to decrease energy consumption and costs in public and residential buildings. At the same time, it will achieve a number of economic, social and health benefits such as increase energy export due to reduced internal demand, creating new businesses and jobs and improving indoor air conditions.

Several trainings and capacity building sessions were organized within the projects on:

-  EU and best international requirements and standards for EE in buildings

-  Advanced energy efficiency assessment and certification practises in the EU

-  EU ecodesign & energy labelling legislation and international best practices

-  Basic methods and requirements for energy efficiency certification of buildings

-  Elaboration of communication activities to raise awareness on the topics of energy efficiency in buildings and labelling of household appliances.

In total more than 70 representatives of the Government of Azerbaijan and other stakeholders were trained on the topic of energy efficiency. In general, the trainings were extremely positively perceived, and feedback was overwhelming. A representative of the Ministry of Ecology explicitly said that the training was “amongst the best, I ever attended. We want to thank the team for its respect and attention to us and our country.”

The last workshop on raising awareness and developing communication activities was held 12-14 October 2022 and included local businesses and different groups of Azerbaijani society, such as representatives from cities signatories of the EU - Covenant of Mayors, EU Young Ambassadors, academia, and civil society. Highly appreciated were the networking opportunities throughout all trainings.