The East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE), mandated by the East African Community (EAC), focuses on promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region through activities such as regional policy harmonization, awareness and capacity building, investment promotion, research, development, innovation, and knowledge management. EACREEE is organising a virtual training workshop on EELA Regional Compliance Framework and Green Public Procurement Guidelines for South Sudan scheduled for Thursday 29th February 2024, 10:00-13:00 EAT.

Webinar Objectives

The virtual national EELA workshop aims to create awareness, build capacity and initiate discussions and collaboration among national stakeholders from different institutions for the design and implementation of national energy efficiency programmes for lighting and appliances that are aligned with regional harmonisation and collaboration objectives of the EAC / SADC regional economic blocks.

Background

The Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project aims to create market and institutional conditions to stimulate increased diffusion of energy efficient lighting products and appliances across all sectors in East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regions. This project brings regional support to private sector activities that will lead to increased use of high-quality EELA, while also considering inclusiveness of all project activities to assure socially sustainable project outcomes. Through its regional approach, the EELA project directly supports increased regional integration and strengthened capacity to face cross-border challenges and to leverage opportunities at regional level. The project facilitates the adoption of regional harmonised policies and establishes mechanisms for regional collaboration between the EAC and SADC Member States respectively on market transformation actions towards energy efficient lighting and appliances.

Some member states have started planning for implementation of national energy efficiency policies and programmes for lighting and appliances (e.g., adoption of MEPS, energy labels, etc). In addition, the EELA project provides support to these national programmes while ensuring their alignment with the regional harmonisation and collaboration objectives of the EAC and SADC economic blocks. National adoption and enforcement are necessary for the successful implementation of regionally adopted policies, including those facilitated through the EELA project.

I. Harmonised MEPS for lighting

The EELA project supported the development of regionally harmonised Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for lighting, which were adopted at the regional level by the SADC and the EAC Member States (given reference SADC HT 109:2021 and EAS 1064-1&2:2022) in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The same harmonisation process for air conditioners and refrigerators is being guided in collaboration with UNEP U4E. As MEPS are adopted by the regional blocks, the EELA project offers awareness and capacity building support to national stakeholders and facilitates discussions amongst them that will drive the implementation and enforcement of MEPS at the country level. The SADC regional MEPS for cooling appliances (Residential refrigerators and room air conditioners) were adopted in 2023. The draft EAC MEPS for cooling appliances (residential refrigerators and room air conditioners) are in place and national consultations on the MEPS ongoing. Burundi and Tanzania have already completed the national consultations.

II. Regional and National Compliance Frameworks for EELA

The Framework was designed in the EELA project to support the implementation and enforcement of regionally harmonized policies for EELA (incl. MEPS) in the EAC and SADC regions respectively. The EELA project provides awareness raising and capacity building support to Member States to establish and implement national compliance frameworks (for M, V&E) that are aligned to the Regional Framework, and to promote national action for the implementation of the Regional Framework, recognising that Member states are at different stages of policy development and implementation.

III. ​Energy efficient public procurement for lighting and appliances

The EELA project is also looking to support Member States in the initiation of other EELA initiatives, such as energy efficient public procurement (EEPP) programmes for lighting and appliances. Based on the developed EEPP guidelines, national stakeholders will be trained to design and implement public procurement programmes. The regional project is piloting / implementing other initiatives for the increased uptake of EELA such as a private sector support programme for energy users, energy service providers and local manufacturers (EELA Technical Assistance and Co-financing Facility). Moreover, following the findings of the market assessment and supply chain analysis on productive use of energy (PUE) appliances and small equipment in the EAC and SADC regions, new interventions are being designed to support the development of the market for EE PUE products in the off-grid sector and was launched in 2023 during the COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). These initiatives will be briefly presented in the virtual workshops. The proposed support to be provided by the EELA project to the Member States will be done in two phases. In the first phase, national workshops will be facilitated in the Member States to create awareness, build capacity, and initiate collaboration among national stakeholders to advance the national energy efficiency policies and programmes for lighting and appliances in the country. The national workshop can serve as an input to the development of a potential national EELA project and assist in resource mobilisation.

Draft Agenda

Moderator: Mr. Denis Ariho, EELA Lead Technical Expert, EELA Project, EACREEE

10:00 Opening remarks

• Mr. Faustino Tombe Yugusuk Loku, Director General, Ministry of Energy and Dams, South Sudan
• Canon Goddy Muhanguzi Muhumuza, Interim Executive Director, EACREEE
• Ms. Stella Apolot, Principal Standards Officer, EAC Secretariat
• Ms. Karin Reiss-Haimbala, Project Coordinator, EELA Project, UNIDO

10:30 Introduction to EELA Project

• Mr. Ndivhuho Tshikovhi, Project Associate, UNIDO

10:50 Relevancy of Regional Compliance Framework in the implementation of standards

• Ms. Stella Apolot, Principal Standards Officer, EAC Secretariat

11:10 Harmonized MEPS and EELA Regional Compliance Framework for EAC and SADC

• Mr. Denis Ariho, Lead Technical Expert for EAC, EELA Project, EACREEE

11:50 National compliance programmes and green public procurement

• Mr. Readlay Makaliki, Lead Technical Expert for EAC, EELA Project, SACREEE

12:20 Q&A 12:50 Closing remarks

• Mr. Denis Ariho, Lead Technical Expert for EAC, EELA Project, EACREEE