INFORSE Cooperation Project among: Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
Project Period: January 2008 - October 2009.
Coordinated by INFORSE-Europe

Energy Visions for Latvia, Lithuania, & Belarus - Updated
During 2008, the Sustainable Energy Visions for these 3 countries were updated with new data for biomass potentials, trends in use of energy. A general overhaul was made on the Visions previously developed in 2004 for Belarus, 2006 for Lithuania, and 2007 for Latvia.
Rising energy prices were included in the new Visions as well; for instance, the relative economic weights of coal and of biomass have changed as a result of a steep increase in coal prices since early 2007. The new visions were presented in November and December, 2008 in the 3 countries together with a joint vision for the 3 countries. In 2009, the Belarussian Vision was presented at 4 Universities in Belarus.

See more at INFORSE Vision, and INFORSE Vision in Belarus, and the INFORSE Vision for the Baltic Area.

Sustainable Energy Info-Centre, Straw-Bale Eco-House, and Energy Training in Belarus
The non-profit sustainable energy information centre of The Minsk City Division of International Association of Ecologists (MD-IAE) was strengthened and expanded with one filial with demonstration of renewable energy technologies and straw bale building solutions together with other environmental solutions in Belarus. The straw bale and the renewable energy installations attracted massive media interest both national and from the neigh boring countries.

MD-IAE organised trainings in eco-construction in cooperation with INFORSE-Europe in Belaruchi, near Minsk in Belarus. Five training seminars took place from July 2008 to August 2009 including the following themes:
- Solar energy/climate and construction/installation of solar heating devices;
- Straw-bale technology and alternative energy systems for individual zero-energy eco-houses;
- Energy efficiency and energy renovation of the housing sector in Belarus.

More than 300 participants and visitors took part in the seminars. They received theoretical and practical knowledge about straw-bale construction, energy efficiency and solar heating. Representatives of the local administration and authorities also participated in the seminars.
The results of the training courses is used to exhibit low-energy construction, use of solar energy, etc. Wind power is also displayed with a small windmill (400 Watts).

Study Tours
Belarus-NGO groups conducted study tours:
- in 2008 to Denmark and to Finland, and
- in 2009 to Denmark.

Teacher Training Seminars
Center of Environmental Solutions (CES) developed and arranged three regional teacher training courses that were conducted in May 2009. A total of 80 participants, mainly teachers, but also school administration people were trained. The training curriculum developed here is now being used within another larger teaching training project that is linked to the international SPARE programme and started in summer 2009.

Exhibition: “Sustainable Energy/Vision 2050 for Belarus”
The exhibition targeting the young generation was developed by MD-IAE, CES and Ecodome. It was shown at four Universities in Belarus during September and October 2009. At each University the exhibition was accompanied by lectures on “Future energy of Belarus – Vision 2050”, a small concert with local music groups, interactive games, and film demonstrations. Altogether an estimated 12,000 people visited the exhibition and more than 400 people attended the lectures.

Strengthening of networks
The project activities have contributed to a strengthening of the networks in Belarus between different NGO’s as well as between NGO’s and Civil Society and also between NGO’s and the educational sector.

Press coverage on the Project's activities in Russian:
2009 January 10, Belarus Segognja, (pdf 143 kB)
2008 December 23, Komsomolskaja Pravda, (pdf 217 kB)
2008 November 13, Belarus Segognja, (pdf file 123 kB)
2008 August 12, Nestor, (pdf 290 kB)
2008 August 3, Nestor, (pdf 291kB)

Read more on the Baltic Cooperation Project: 2010-11

These activities are supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, AirClim, FoE Norway and EU DG Environment Civil Society Support for INFORSE-Europe.