Updated: 2010, 2015

Since the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 a growing number of international partnerships have been formed, including many on energy. This page gives an overview of some of the main international/intergovernmental partnerships and similar activities involved in sustainable energy.

EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development
An EU initiative started in 2002 on energy for development, mainly targeting Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific. Its main achievement is the ACP-EU Energy Facility to co-finance projects that deliver energy services to the poor. The first round of projects with EU support totaling 198 mill. EUR are being implemented and for the second round (second energy facility) with a budget of 100 mill. EUR, projects are expected to start in 2011. Read more here.

REEEP
The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership was formed in 2002 with UK, Austria, and other countries as main partners. It supports renewable energy with grants to co-finance smaller renewable energy businesses, promotion of supporting policy frameworks for renewable energy markets, and other activities. It has secretariat in Vienna and 8 regional secretariats. See www.reeep.org .

GVEP
Global Village Energy Partnership was formed in 2002 with UNDP and the World Bank among the main partners. It is involved in projects and promotion of local energy solutions for poverty reduction, and has a growing membership of organisations and individuals. It has its main office in London and an East African office in Nairobi. See www.gvepinternational.org .

GNESD
Global Network of Energy Sustainable Development was formed in 2002 by a group of research centre's including larger NGOs as ENDA in Senegal and African Energy Policy Research Network based in Kenya. It is now a UNEP facilitated knowledge network of 20 developing world centre's. It carries out policy analysis on energy issues to reduce poverty and reach the Millennium Development Goals. It has secretariat in Denmark at the Danish UNEP Collaborating Centre. See: www.gnesd.org .

REN21
The Renewable Energy Network 21 was set up following the 2004 International Renewable Energy Conference, Bonn, Germany. It promotes renewable energy, publish global renewable energy status reports, and keep tracks of commitments from the 2004 conference. It has an international steering committee and a secretariat in Paris. See www.ren21.net .

IRENA
International Renewable Energy Agency is not a partnership, but a new international organisation formed in Bonn, Germany, 26 January 2009 with countries as members. The organisation was ratified by the necessary 25 members and became a legal registered international organisation by July 8, 2010. It will organise its first general assembly in April 2011. The budget for 2011 is 18 mill. USD. INFORSE-Europe participated on the Founding Conference. Main office in Abu Dhabi, also offices in Bonn and Vienna.
See: www.irena.org .

CLASP
Collaborative Label and Appliance Standards Program was started in 1999 with support from the USA. Its main activity is to assist the implementation of minimum energy performance standards and energy efficiency label schemes. INFORSE-Europe is associate with CLASP. Office in Washington DC. See: www.clasponline.org .

IEA Technology Agreements
The International Energy Agency (an agency of OECD) is organising a number of “implementing agreements”to discuss technical issues, including issues related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. While these are not partnerships, they sometimes cover similar activities. Members are usually interested countries. Of the 42 agreements, about half of them deal with renewable energy or energy efficiency.
See: www.iea.org/text base/techno/index.asp .

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