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Amman – 29 May 2025

The meetMED project proudly organized a dynamic “Green Day in Schools” in collaboration with the Jordanian National Energy Research Centre (NERC) of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) in Amman. Under the theme “Think Smart – Save Water, Save Energy, Recycle E-Waste!”, the event took place at Iskan Al-Faiha’a primary mixed school. This hands-on, educational event targeted children aged 6–12, focusing on sustainability and smart resource use.

This initiative is part of the meetMED regional awareness campaign aimed at empowering children to become Eco-heroes. By promoting water and energy conservation at home and school, as well as sustainable waste management practices, we are fostering a sense of environmental responsibility among the younger generation.

The campaign materials — videos, brochures, and posters—were designed in coordination with the Portuguese Energy Agency (ADENE), the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) and the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) to highlight the importance of water-energy savings and recycling electronic waste.

These materials included:

Water-Energy tips:

• Two leaflets with practical tips for children on saving water and energy at home and at school.
• Two posters promoting water and energy saving practices in both settings.
• A video with engaging tips for children on how to save water.
• Two guidelines tailored for teachers and students to support awareness and implementation of water and energy saving measures.

Recycling E-waste tips: 

• one brochure and poster to highlight the importance of recycling electronic waste.

Additionally, the campaign installed electronic waste collection boxes in the school, serving as a sustainable reminder of the proper mechanisms for disposing of hazardous materials contained in e-waste.

Iskan Al-Faiha’a school also serves as a pilot building for meetMED project national activities in Jordan. This includes “School Energy Audits” in partnership with ENEA and the “Water-Energy Nexus Methodology” developed by ADENE. Additionally, meetMED project has implemented a pilot project at the school aimed at improving water energy efficiency.

This project features a drip irrigation system with automatic activation and an hourly timer to optimize water usage for gardening. It also includes general maintenance of the water network and the installation of water flow aerators for all taps to prevent leaks and ensure efficient water consumption. Finally, the water harvesting system has been improved by installing water collecting tanks with a total capacity of 10 m³ to collect and reuse rainwater for non-potable purposes, along with a water pump.

This event was not only educational but also a significant step in demonstrating how pilot buildings and early environmental education work together on the path toward sustainability.

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Asmaa Ahmed – meetMED II Communication Manager
Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

Hammamet – Within the activities of the meetMED II project (Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Region), funded by the European Union, the third edition of the meetMED Weeks took place in Hammamet, Tunisia between 22 – 24 April. The three-day event brought together more than 250 energy experts representing officials, policymakers, stakeholders, municipalities, and private sector from the Mediterranean region with the aim of promoting the energy and climate transition.

 The third edition of the meetMED Weeks, funded by the European Union, was organised by the Tunisian National Agency for Energy Control (ANME), in partnership with the Algerian National Agency for the Promotion and Rationalisation of Energy Use (APRUE). The event provided a platform for exchange of experiences and to explore avenues of cooperation between the Southern Neighbourhood countries in the field of energy efficiency, with a particular focus on the buildings and appliances sector.

During the opening plenary, Fethi Hanchi, General Director of ANME stressed the importance of national and international cooperation to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and to minimise the impacts of energy price fluctuations on the Tunisian economy. He also described the agency’s efforts to prepare a platform for assessing the carbon footprint of industrial products, scheduled to be operational by the end of the year. 

Likewise, Merouane Chabane, General Director of APRUE underlined the strong commitment of Algeria, with its regional partners, for the promotion of energy efficiency, and for the development of decarbonisation policies within the context of sustainable development.

Cristina Casella, Programme Manager – Climate Action, DG NEAR, European Commission, recognized the importance of the meetMED Week, as a flagship event in the South Mediterranean to discuss how best to advance the energy transition in the region. Casella also recalled that the energy transition is at the top of the EU agenda driven by EU’s climate objectives with the European Green deals ambition to achieve a 55% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.

From her side, Milou Beerepoot, Programme Manager – Energy,  DG NEAR, EU Commission, highlighted the European Union support to just energy transition policies in the southern Mediterranean and how different types of instruments, varying from technical assistance to financial support, can foster a just energy transition.  She illustrated this with a few examples of EU supported regional projects that offer contributions to a fair and equitable energy transition.

Jauad El Kharraz the Executive Director of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) pointed out that the support of the European Commission has been fundamental to mainstream energy efficiency efforts in the Mediterranean. “We definitely need more support in the next period to continue consolidating our member states and the national agencies in their energy transition journey” El Kharraz added.

Roberta Boniotti, the Secretary General of the Mediterranean Association of National Energy Management Agencies (MEDENER), further added “we are currently focusing on supporting the member countries in their efforts to achieve energy efficiency and renewable energy. In the second phase of the project, our focus was on the building sector, which plays a significant role in energy efficiency since it is one of the most energy-consuming sectors”.

Throughout 16 sessions, the conference offered participants multiple opportunities for active engagement, with high-level sessions and technical parallel sessions to reflect on implementing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy measures, focusing on Buildings and Appliances, and demonstrating successful pilot projects led by partners.

Discussion topics included how collaborative work can enhance energy transition in the Mediterranean region, stimulating dialogue towards net zero emissions in the building sector, and presenting innovative financing mechanisms to foster investments in sustainable energy. One session also explored synergies between the meetMED and the PeebMED projects, both EU-funded programs.

The event was concluded by a workshop training session on energy transitions for journalists followed by two site visits at Municipality of Nabeul and Sky Energy Company.

Background:

Following a successful experience last year, the meetMED project – funded by the European Union actively participated at the 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) hosted by Dubai between 30 November and 12 December 2023.

Kicking off meetMED’s presence on December 4, where the RCREEE pavilion hosted a high-level session titled “Energy efficiency finance: mobilisation challenges in the Mediterranean region”. The event emphasised the importance of energy efficiency dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders in the MENA region to accelerate investments in energy efficiency projects.  In addition to showcasing experiences of Mediterranean Sustainable Energy Investment Forums, realized by the meetMED Project as well as innovative financing models, and lessons learned from different EU-funded projects such as the  Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB), that will foster collaboration to replicate or adapt successful approaches in their contexts. 

Followed by a joint session “Development of energy services in Africa: For a just transition” co-organized in cooperation with the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency – AMEE, at the Moroccan pavilion. This event highlighted the role of energy services and the potential they present in terms of climate change mitigation and sustainable economic development in Africa. The agenda focused on key achievements and shared experiences, which will help paint a picture of the booming African market. The meetMED project “Initiatives to enhance energy efficiency in public buildings” was reviewed during the panel.

The French pavilion hosted meetMED and Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) side event “Building a climate-friendly and resilient future for sustainable construction in the Mediterranean region and West Africa: Mobilizing local construction value chain for decarbonization of buildings”. Bringing together stakeholders from different implementing and donor agencies to exchange lessons learned in the implementation of sustainable building projects across the Mediterranean and West Africa.

Our high-level session “Importance of capacity building for cooling sector in the MENA Region” was held the RECREEE pavilion in partnership with the Cool up Programme. The session was designed to raise awareness about the significance of investing in human and institutional capabilities for sustainable development in the cooling sector. 

On December 11th our participation at COP28 was concluded with a side event that focused on energy performance standards, which was aimed at optimizing energy consumption of appliances in the Arab Mediterranean countries.

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Asmaa Ahmed – meetMED Communication Manager
Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

Madrid – Within the activities of the meetMED II project (Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Region), funded by the European Union, a “Knowledge Transfer Program on EE in Buildings and Appliances” took place in Madrid from 06 – 07 November 2023. The event was organised in close collaboration with the Spanish E.P.E. Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy – IDAE, the Spanish Association for Standardisation (UNE), and the Test, Innovation, and Services Centre (CEIS).

Day 1: Study tour at CEIS appliances testing laboratories in Móstoles

The tour was an opportunity for participants to gain deep insights into testing centers, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), and labeling promotion for appliances, with a particular emphasis on air-conditioning. 

During the visit, participants were provided with a comprehensive description of CEIS, one of Europe’s leading independent testing laboratories, which has more than 20 years of experience in the field of conformity assessment of various products for a wide range of appliances.  Participants visited various testing labs including the Balanced calorimeter room method, Indoor Air enthalpy test method, and Sound power and pressure test method.

Day 2: Regional workshop on energy efficiency in buildings & Appliances 

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Asmaa Ahmed – meetMED Communication Manager
Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

The second edition of meetMED Week 2023, that took place in Marrakech, Morocco from 09 to 11 May, witnessed the announcement of the fourteen Mediterranean cities selected for the twining agreements. The thee-day conference, is the meetMED largest annual event, funded by the European Union, aimed at fostering the regional cooperation for the energy and climate transition in the Mediterranean countries.

The announcement came during one of the meetMED Week sessions devoted to the role of local authorities in the energy transition, bringing together representatives of Mediterranean cities – Lisbon (Portugal), Sahab (Jordan), and Tata (Morocco) – and the SEACAP4SDG and CLIMAMED projects.

During the session, Portuguese Energy Agency  (ADENE) presented the 14 selected cities and the 6 partnerships identified, namely those that join Lisbon in Portugal with Al-Karak and Sahab in Jordan, Palmela in Portugal and Tata in Morocco, San Lucido in Italy and Moukhtara in Lebanon, Gozo in Malta and El Kef Lahmar in Algeria, Grevena in Greece to Abasan Al-Kabira in Palestine, as well as Grenoble in France with Sfax and Bizerte, both in Tunisia. A Spanish town and Cairo are still expected to join these partnerships.

Following the selection processes, the next steps will include signing Memorandums of Understanding with the cities, after which the Action Plans for each partnership will be prepared. These plans will address energy self-consumption, urban rehabilitation and renovation of buildings, the water-energy nexus, passive climate change mitigation measures, as well as actions to raise awareness and boost public participation.

Notably, the call for applications for meetMED twinning agreements was launched in January under project’s activity dedicated to promoting cooperation between cities in the north and south of the Mediterranean Basin region. Under the Portuguese Energy Agency (ADENE) leadership, the twinning agreements intend to promote dialogue, exchanging knowledge and experiences, and regional cooperation on energy efficiency in buildings.

For more information, please contact:

Mrs. Inês Mendes

meetMED II activity leader

Manager Email: ines.mendes@adene.pt

Amman – 17 March 2023

The meetMED project, funded by the European Union, and supported by the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) & the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), in close cooperation with the Royal Scientific Society organized a four-day national consultation mission on appliances scrapping from 14 – 17 March 2023 in Jordan.

The mission’s objective was to obtain more information about the Jordanian scrapping and recycling industry and identify the potential of collecting, recycling, and marketing the materials from scrapped appliances, in addition, to focusing on the types of appliances collected and the existing programs that may support such market.

During the consultation mission, meetMED experts met representatives from the Ministry of Environment (MoE), Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF), UNDP Jordan, Royal Scientific Society, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and E-Tafkek company.

The first day was centered around making acquaintance with the existing policies and regulations for appliances scrapping in Jordan, learning about types and amounts of appliances covered under these policies, and social and environmental guidelines for health and safety. In a lively panel discussion, participants were able to put all their questions to Jordanian officials from the MoE about future national plans for WEEE sector management. Hereafter, the delegation visited Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF) premises, where they learned about the existing market for appliances scrapping and recycling, facilities dealing with appliances, and the main barriers and challenges facing this sector.

On the second day, the delegation was received by the UNDP Jordan office and had the opportunity to foster the potential cooperation between RCREEE,RSS, and UNDP for the enforcement of existing policies and possible awareness campaigns and had the chance to look back on the challenges facing the development partners and the investors in Jordan. The day was closed with a fruitful meeting at the Royal Scientific Society to understand the main types of recycled materials and the opportunity to export in addition to the alignment of efforts in the cross-cutting projects.

On the third and final day, the meetMED delegation visited Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) premises in Jordan and went on a field visit to E-Tafkek company. These field visits revealed that important steps are being made in the private sector to recycle. 

This consultation mission shows that Jordan aspires to creative environmental solutions in all sectors, in particular in the field of household appliances.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Asmaa AHMED
meetMED II Communication Manager
Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

Cairo – February 2023

The Egyptian round table held within the Mediterranean Sustainable Energy Investment Forum called for the need to strengthen the financing mechanisms of renewable energy projects and reduce the risk perception of banks in this important sector.

The launching of the Egyptian network for sustainable energy investments came during the national round table held in Cairo under the meetMED project – funded by the European Union and implemented by the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) and the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER).

During the opening remarks, Cristina Casella, Programme Manager – Climate Action, DG NEAR, European Commission said “The EU has been a long-term partner to the southern Mediterranean region promoting and supporting the shift towards a more resource efficient, low carbon and sustainable economy. The EU also supports various bilateral and regional cooperation programmes as well as blending facilities which combine grant funding with loans. Through these mechanisms, the EU supports partner countries in implementing concrete energy efficiency measures in key sectors buildings but also others such as industry and transport.

Roberta Boniotti the Secretary General of MEDENER added “Engagement and integration between international, regional, national and local stakeholders is necessary to harmonize, align, synergize and multiply the respective impact. By launching the meetMED SEI Forums initiative with regional and national roundtables, we expect to engage the stakeholders in a permanent dialogue, which is really very important to stimulate the exchange of information, to improve the harmonization and monitoring regulations and standards in the sectors of buildings and appliances and mainly to facilitate and enhance access to finance”.      

From his part, Dr. Jauad El Kharraz, the Executive Director of the RCREEE underlined “The Center’s support for all possible aspects to enhance all Arab countries, including Egypt, for the transformation of sustainable energy systems and energy efficiency applications.

Dr. Maged Mahmoud, the Technical Director of RCREEE also highlighted “The Center aims to establish a banking finance network for renewable energy projects by assisting banks to obtain all the information and terminology that enables them to deal with renewable energy projects so that we can reduce the number of risks banks place to finance such projects. Noting that there are over 35 banks in Egypt, but a limited number of banks that finance energy projects”. 

Representing the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Dr. Ahmed Mohina, the First Undersecretary (MoERE) mentioned that “Egypt has a clear strategic plan to shift towards renewable energy and increase its contribution to the national electricity grid. Furthermore, energy efficiency funding mechanisms, including the Energy Efficiency Fund, are being activated in addition to specialized committees to operationalize the energy efficiency code in the building sector.

Dr. Mohamed Mousa Omran, the Executive Director of EgyptERA emphasized on the importance of having an institutional setup of the energy efficiency unit among the country. In addition to fostering international cooperation and capacity building programs and the role of Energy Service Companies (ESCO’s) in implementing national energy efficiency plans.

Presenting the concept of Sustainable Energy Investment Forums, Dr. Edoardo Pandolfi, Task Leader at ENEA stated that “This national round table taking place today in Cairo is part of a series of 5 national roundtables organised within the MED SEI Forums. These events aiming at facilitating dialogue between financial sectors, public authorities and all other stockholders that are involved in delivering investments in sustainable energy. In addition to setting up an example to be replicated by the other countries”.

Addressing the gap between the building sector sustainable strategies and the available financing mechanisms, Dr. Hend Farouh, the Project Manager of Egypt PV, funded by UNDP-Egypt showcased the key insights of solar plant piolet projects in buildings sector implemented under the Egypt PV highlighting the total CO₂ emission reduction and the long-term return on investments. Farouh added “There is a marked rise in the turnout of citizens and owners of small and medium enterprises on solar energy. Many training programmes have been offered to young people and some have been observed setting up private solar power plant companies. They have been assisted in the formal accreditation of their companies to the competent authorities”.

Given the importance to the role of sustainable finance in advancing sustainable energy investments, Dr. Walaa Elshafee, the Head of Sustainability and E&S systems at CIB Egypt, presented the key pillars of the CIB’s sustainable finance policy addressing the Bank’s economic, environmental, social, and governance (EESG) impact.

Dr. Yosra Assaker, Sustainable Energy Expert at the World Bank mentioned that “There is a significant funding gap to sustain the green shift in energy uses as government plans require $113 billion in investment to reduce emissions by 67%”.

Highlighting the potential of carbon markets in Egypt, Dr. Hesham Eisa, the General Manager of D-Carbon Egypt said that “Egypt can play a major role in the global carbon market and can encourage the private sector to implement plans to reduce carbon emissions”.

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Asmaa Ahmed – meetMED Communication Manager

Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

15^th November 2022 – Sharm El-Sheikh

 The meetMED project (Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean region), an EU-funded project, developed by the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) and the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) was fortunate to co-organize and participate in seven side-event sessions at the 27th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) hosted in the green city of Sharm El-Sheikh this year. 

COP27 is the world’s most important conference about climate change, bringing together partners from the public and private sectors, civil society, and academia to accelerate action toward the goals of the Paris Agreement and to strengthen climate action.

Kicking off meetMED’s presence on November 7, 2022, where the Mediterranean pavilion hosted a high-level dialogue on Boosting Energy Efficient Buildings in the Mediterranean Region, Cristina Casella, Programme Manager – Climate Action, DG NEAR, European Commission said “I am very honored to be part of the discussions today that are dedicated to a very important issue about energy efficiency in buildings. Shifting towards more energy efficient buildings is an absolutely a priority. Renovating both public and private buildings has actually been singled out in the European Green Deal as a key initiative to drive energy efficiency in the sectors and to deliver in the goal of climate due triality. Through our various bilateral and regional cooperation programmes as well as through our blending facilities which combine grant funding with loans, the EU is supporting partner countries in implementing concrete energy efficiency measures in the buildings and other sectors. The meetMED programme funded by the European Union, supports the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in the buildings and appliances sectors and also aims to raise public awareness of the energy transition and it also tries to harmonize policies and strategies – as well as accelerate public and private sectors involvement in the sector.”

In his opening remarks, Dr. Jauad El Kharraz, the Executive Director of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), shared the sense of urgency regarding climate action “Welcome to the RCREEE pavilion, the first of its kind in the history of the COP. RCREEE and its member states are unwavering commitments to supporting swift decarbonization that has now become a prerequisite not only for saving the planet from climate disasters but also for adjusting and inclusive energy transition at a global level. We are very pleased to host meetMED side events highlighting the implementation of energy efficiency measures in the project’s beneficiary countries, focusing on the Building and the Appliances sectors”.

From his side, Giorgio Graditi,  the President of the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER), focused on the importance of meetMED participation at COP27 as a global platform for communication between regional and international partners about climate crisis “ It’s a unique opportunity to highlight the commitment of the meetMED project to support energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, as well as to strengthening the cooperation with our partners to raise awareness and increase climate actions in the Mediterranean region with the support of the European Commission”.

“In the meetMED project, MEDENER and RCREEE are working to enable the energy transition in the Mediterranean Region. The launch event of the new PEEB Med programme at the COP27, organised by the AFD and supported by the Union for the Mediterranean, opened a very fruitful dialogue between our organisations, fostering the future of our partnership in the Mediterranean Region” declared Roberta Boniotti, the Secretary General of MEDENER.

Throughout the conference, meetMED organized seven side events at the RCREEE and Mediterranean pavilions at the conference blue zone in Sharm el-Sheikh. These events addressed a broad range of climate-related issues, such as resilience, adaptation and mitigation actions for the building sector, energy efficiency sustainable finance and business models, awareness raising, district cooling and monitoring and evaluation of energy efficiency public policies.

 About meetMED:

 The Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean region (meetMED) project is an EU-funded project, developed by the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) and the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE).

Following the success of its first phase (MEETMED I, from 2018-2020), meetMED project commences its second phase aiming at strengthening the decarbonisation of national energy mixes and the implementation of energy efficiency measures in buildings and appliances through a multiscale, multi-partner and inclusive approach at local and regional levels, thereby fostering regional cooperation among 8 Southern Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia).

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Asmaa Ahmed – meetMED Communication Manager

Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Region (meetMED II project), Agence de la Transition Ecologique (ADEME), MEDENER (Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management), and EUROMED Cities Network will organize an online session entitled “Greening Buildings (and Cities) in the Mediterranean Region” on September 21, at 16h30 (CET) as part of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) extended programme.

Territories surrounding the “Mediterranean lake” face similar specific issues with the adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change, specifically regarding the EE and RE measures on public buildings. Buildings codes promoting EE have therefore been developed, but mostly at national levels, and are facing enforcement challenges.

Key players for action are local governments in promoting EE at local level, and energy management agencies have different levels of engagement in supporting municipalities on improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort in public buildings.

As part of the European Sustainable Energy Week Extended Program, this session will discuss how to foster the implementation of energy efficiency measures at the local level and reinforce energy security in the Mediterranean Region thanks to local replicable tools and methodologies through perspective and converging views from cities.

EUSEW2022 Extended Programme

The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) extended programme comprises sessions that take place virtually or physically in the week of 19-23 September 2022 before the European Sustainable Energy Week’s Policy Conference. From workshops to panels, talks and other activities, the extended programme offers further opportunities to engage with issues surrounding sustainable energy and Europe’s Green Deal objectives.

About EUSEW 2022
The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the biggest event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe and is organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

This year, EUSEW will take place in a hybrid format, online and onsite in Brussels, on 26-30 September 2022 under the theme “Going green and digital for Europe’s energy transition”. The European Sustainable Energy Week consists of a 4-day Policy Conference, the European Sustainable Energy Awards Ceremony, the Energy Fair, Energy Talks and the third European Youth Energy Day.

Paris – 7 September 2022

In the context of meetMED’s Regional Capacity Development Program on District Cooling, the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) in cooperation with the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) & Ademe, the French Ecological Transition Agency organized a regional consultation workshop on 7^th September 2022 in Paris.

As the world shifts toward Sustainability and a Greener Future, it is essential to stay relevant and competitive in the market, as well as stay up to date on the Emerging Cooling Technologies and Evolving District Cooling Trends. District Cooling is a significant energy efficient technology to provide air conditioning and cooling for buildings in entire communities, cities and developments and it is used in large scale throughout the world since more than 20 years.

The workshop – held under meetMED, a Euro-Mediterranean project funded by the European Union – aimed to introduce the existing technologies and experiences in the northern and southern Mediterranean countries, reinforcing knowledge and expertise on district cooling technologies and financing, optimal operations, performances, and implementation mechanisms.

Bringing together key stakeholders representing our beneficiary countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine), and development partners from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

During the meeting, UNEP’s experts showcased the District Energy in Cities Initiative, which works under the (UNEP) umbrella and aims to bring together stakeholder groups with diverse capabilities and expertise to deliver market transformation and accelerated uptake of district energy.

The experts also pointed to the potential of district cooling to increase energy efficiency in the Mediterranean region, including district energy systems for heating & cooling and multiple benefits for cities. The event was an opportunity to present the  best practices applied in Tunisia and the feasibility assessment of the El Alamein plant in Egypt.

Aiming to increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts, the EBRD expert stated business models in district cooling systems and financing approaches. With an- annual savings of 40,450 MWh of electricity, the key insights of Jordan’s first District Heating and Cooling plant, “Abdali,” financed by the EBRD, were reviewed.

One day earlier, the workshop participants had a chance to visit Fraîcheur de Paris, one of the giant district cooling plants in Europe that recently undertook upgrading measures and can serve as inspiration for other DC systems striving to become more efficient.

These examples of knowledge exchange are needed and will lead to a stepwise improvement of district cooling technologies implementation in the Mediterranean region, thereby contributing significantly to facing the climate change crisis.

Finally, the cooperation with UNEP and EBRD will continue in the first semester of 2023 with additional knowledge sharing sessions and webinars.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Asmaa AHMED
meetMED II Communication Manager
Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

Cairo, 28^th, March, 2022

Within the activities of the 2nd phase of the Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean region (meetMED II) project, funded by the European Union, the first edition of MEETMED Week takes place on March 28^th to 31^st, 2022, in Cairo, Egypt.

More than 14 organizations and 100 energy experts representing several countries from the Euro-Mediterranean region are attending it.

MEETMED Week 2022—the first in a series of annual regional energy conferences is organized by MEDENER and RCREEE under the European Union support —is marking this year’s edition with the theme ” Together Towards Efficient Buildings and Appliances in the Mediterranean.”

Through its four sub-themes: Sustainable Energy Investment, Concerted Actions on Buildings, Concerted Actions on Appliances, and Monitoring Energy Efficiency, MMW 2022 will tackle fostering the regional cooperation for energy and climate transition in Southern Eastern Mediterranean Countries.

MMW 2022 is a hybrid of virtual conversations and in-person events in Cairo. Among the unique plenary sessions and high-level dialogues offered throughout the week, policymakers, academia, diplomats, UN agencies, financial institutions, representatives of regional organizations, energy experts from the public and private institutions, and the media are gathered to exchange experiences, share best practices and identify areas for potential partnerships and cooperation.

MeetMED II activities aims at strengthening the implementation of EE measures and improving countries’ energy mix focusing on building and appliances’ sectors through a multiscale, multi- partner, and inclusive approach at local and regional levels, thereby fostering regional cooperation.

Notably, the design and implementation of the MEETMED second phase are entrusted to MEDENER, which is an international no-profit organization gathering agencies from North and South of the Mediterranean region in charge of implementing public policies on energy efficiency and promotion of renewable energy sources; and to the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), which is an intergovernmental organization aiming to enable and increase the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency practices in the Arab region. The project is funded by the European Commission.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Asmaa AHMED
meetMED II Communication Manager
Email: asmaa.ahmed@rcreee.org

Aiming to implement a common regional energy observatory database on energy efficiency (EE) indicators, ADEME in cooperation with RCREEE organized “Regional consultation workshop:  Monitoring Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Appliances in Mediterranean” on December 14, 2021.

The event brings together experts from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Libya to gather feedbacks on monitoring EE strategies and policies and the state of play in their countries. Additionally, the workshop will set the basis of launching 4 technical working groups on Energy efficiency indicators implementation, Energy demand modelling and prospective tools, NEEAPs and national strategies implementation, and Specific Energy Efficiency indicators in buildings and appliances. The workshop outcomes is one of the main cornerstone of meetMED II target set to support policy/decision makers on monitoring and evaluation (with a focus on buildings and appliances).

Following the success of its first phase (MEETMED I, from 2018-2020), EU-Funded project meetMED commences its second phase aiming to enhance the energy security of beneficiary countries (namely Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia) while fostering their transition to low carbon economy. Accordingly, meetMED II will be contributing to the creation of more stable, efficient, competitive, and climate-resilient socioeconomic contexts in the targeted countries.

Notably, the design and implementation of the MEETMED second phase are entrusted to MEDENER, which is an international no-profit organization gathering agencies from North and South of the Mediterranean region in charge of implementing public policies on energy efficiency and promotion of renewable energy sources; and to the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), which is an intergovernmental organization aiming to enable and increase the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency practices in the Arab region. The project is funded by the European Commission.

Aiming to promote energy efficiency measures in buildings through capacity building, tools adjustment and awareness raising campaigns, meetMED II organized two hybrid technical meetings on October 13, 2021.  Organized by ADEME and hosted by INES-Solaire in France, the events welcomed attendees and experts and allowed online attendance.

The day started with “ Technical meeting on improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort in public buildings”. The meeting discussed mainly the preliminary results of “Improving Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort in Cities and Buildings” report. These results are the first steps to develop and implement a set of tools and trainings for implementing energy audits in municipalities, and provide guidance for energy management in buildings.

The discussion built upon the results of meetMED experts 1st technical meeting held on September 2, 2021. The agenda covered a number of topics including:

• General Overview on key elements of a comprehensive national framework to promote thermal comfort and energy efficiency in (public) buildings
• Regulatory frameworks supporting thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings
• Financial and regulatory incentives to promote thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings

Later on october 13, 2021, “Technical meeting on Regional platform for training and provisional certification of sustainable buildings GRASSMED Green BOOCC” took place to facilitate the development of a regional platform for training and provisional certification of sustainable buildings under meetMED II.

Notably, GRASSMED Green BOOCC (Green Building Open Online Courses and Certification) will integrate all energy efficiency and environmental protection measures, and represents a new approach for rating and labelling green buildings in the Mediterranean region with focus on a number of meetMED II beneficiary countries. Eventually,  GRASSMED Green BOOCC  tool aims mainly at verifying and validating building’s performance and environmental quality of construction.

During the technical meeting, attendees discussed mainly the action plan to develop and launch GRASSMED Green BOOCC.

Under meetMED II Activities we are inviting experts and organizations working actively in meetMED beneficiaries’ countries (namely Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia) to fill in our stakeholder’s network forms and support strengthening and implementation of energy efficiency measures in building and appliances sectors.

Answers will used in drafting meetMED II engagement plan to map relevant public and private stakeholders in beneficiaries’ countries to be involved in a number of meetMED activities aiming to enhance the development and adoption of policy measures, to improve the harmonization and monitoring of legislations, regulations and standards in Buildings and Appliances sectors & foster exchanges of information and experiences between Northern and the Southern Countries partners.

In its second Phase, meetMED strives to avail training materials on various topics for broader sector of academia, public and private sector professionals and consultants.

Under promotion of energy efficiency in buildings activities, ADEME in cooperation with ADENE and AMEE launched an online technical coordination meeting on September 8, 2021.

The meeting discussed the action plan and activities needed to disseminate training materials developed under meetMED II more broadly via tools, guidelines in addition to relevant capacity building programs required to ensure the success of material’s dissemination.

Through its various activities and based on the Regional Expert Network (REN) set in phase I, meetMED II aims to contribute to harmonizing strategies and policies on energy efficiency (EE) in appliances in the region, while strengthening regional cooperation. Under this theme, RCREEE in cooperation with Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) organized an “Online Working Session on energy efficiency measures for appliances” on November 4, 2021.

During the event, meetMED II team presented the main activities planned to promote the market of efficient appliances and to boost the demand for energy efficient equipment through a better visibility for grand public and private sector operators. Additionally, the team presented the main activities and action plan adopted by meetMED II to improve the harmonization and monitoring of legislations, regulations and standards in appliances sector through fostering exchanges of information and experience between Northern and the Southern Countries partners.

The session was attended by more than 30 key stakeholders and development partners from southern and eastern Mediterranean countries. Participants discussed possible synergies, challenges and priorities to mobilize efforts & enrich the project’s implementation plan.

Following the work implemented in first phase of the meetMED (2018-2020), meetMED II is catalyzing regional expertise and knowledge to facilitate dialogue between banks, financial partners, institutions, public and private operators, and improve the visibility of existing funds. Accordingly, the secretariat will be able to propose innovative mechanisms for funding projects in the fields of buildings and appliances and assist project holders to get access to finance with a focus on public buildings, tertiary and industrial sectors.

Under this theme, RCREEE in cooperation with Agence Nationale pour la Maîtrise de l’ Energie (ANME) and Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) organized an online meeting tackling “Access to Finance” organized an online session on “Access to Finance” on November 2, 2021. MeetMED II team presented an overview of the activities planned to facilitate access to finance in meetMED beneficiaries countries. In addition, representatives from the Southern Eastern Mediterranean region presented a number of case studies including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Spain and Italy. Speakers focused mainly on the national context and current financial initiatives in their countries and challenges facing access to finance for energy efficiency in buildings and appliances.

Through its various activities and based on the Regional Expert Network (REN) set in phase I, meetMED II aims to contribute to harmonizing strategies and policies on energy efficiency (EE) in building sector in the region, while strengthening regional cooperation. Under this theme, meetMED II organized an online working session on energy efficiency measures in building sector on November 9, 2021.

The event aimed to present the activities addressed to enhance the development, adaptation and replication of energy efficiency measures in the building sector, starting from the experiences, good practices until pilot projects proposal.  Energy efficiency key strategies and policies in building sector will be presented as well along with the main activities planned to improve the harmonization and monitoring of legislations, regulations and standards in buildings sector during the project.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders and development partners to present meetMED II objectives expected outcomes. It will identify possible synergies, challenges and priorities and mobilize efforts to enrich the project’s implementation plan.

This event is by invitations only

June 9, 2021: Building upon their joint interest to reinforce activities related to energy efficiency in public buildings, throughout the Mediterranean basin, meetMED and Interreg Med Community Project- Efficient Buildings signed a memorandum of understanding virtually during the Efficient Buildings Digital Days.

Under the newly signed MOU, the two parties have agreed upon creating synergies to facilitate the identification of tools and cities that could be involved and supported within both projects on EE in buildings and reinforce the exchanges on, and transfer and promotion of, decision-making tools set up by Interreg MED Modular Projects (and others), especially in activities related to supporting local authorities.

Additionally, the MOU laid the ground for the creation of a joint calendar for the two projects to join forces in organizing common activities for local and regional authorities.

About Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean region (meetMED)

meetMED is an EU-funded project, developed by the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) and the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE).

Following the success of its first phase (MEETMED I, from 2018-2020), meetMED project commences its second phase aiming to enhance the energy security of beneficiary countries (namely Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia) while fostering their transition to low carbon economy. Accordingly, meetMED II will be contributing to the creation of more stable, efficient, competitive and climate-resilient socioeconomic contexts in the targeted countries.

MeetMED II activities aim at strengthening the implementation of EE measures and improving countries’ energy mix focusing on building and appliances’ sectors through a multiscale, multi-partner and inclusive approach at local and regional levels, thereby fostering regional cooperation.

About Interreg MED Community of Projects Efficient Buildings (Efficient Buildings)

Efficient Buildings started in November 2016 and is due to end in October 2022. Efficient Buildings is a strategic coordination, communication and capitalization community of projects, aiming to implement, at territorial level and throughout the Mediterranean basin, the transfer and replication of successful decision-making tools set up by the Interreg MED Modular Projects, with regards to energy efficiency in public buildings. In 2021 and 2022, Efficient Buildings focuses on concrete actions to effectively implement the transfer and capitalization of these mature decision-making tools and further assist local and regional authorities with their decision-making process.

The report of the 7th MEDENER International Conference on Energy Transition in the Euro- Mediterranean Region has been released!

The Conference was held on 26 September 2019 at the Museum of Modern Greek Art-New Wing of the Nestoridion Melathron in Rhodes, Greece and focused on the ‘Sustainable Energy Solutions for Islands and Remote Areas: Frontrunners for the Energy Transition in the Euro- Mediterranean Region’.

The Conference highlighted the additional challenges islands have to face when it comes to the energy transition due to the peculiarities of insularity and identified the similarities with some remote areas. Hence, the latest solutions for energy efficiency, renewable energy production, energy storage facilities, demand response systems, low carbon transport and sustainable water and waste management were presented. The role of circular economy investments boosting economic self-sufficiency and inclusive growth in isolated territories and in the Mediterranean region was also emphasized.

The 7th MEDENER International Conference was organized by MEDENER in cooperation with the Greek Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), in partnership with the Clean energy for EU Islands Secretariat, the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), Greening the Islands and REVOLVE.

Read and download the full report here.

The “Concept Note for the Creation of an Industrial Association of EE and RES Components’ Manufacturing to serve Local Markets ” focusing on the Maghreb countries is out today, as well as the meetMED report on Quality Infrastructures for Defined EE and RES Equipment and Services in the SEMCs !

The concept note assesses the feasibility of the creation of Industrial RE and EE associations in three targeted Maghreb countries (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). Regional experiences and national case studies that contributed to the preparation of this concept note were shared at a workshop held in Algiers in November 2019.

Read the full meetMED concept note here!

The meetMED report analyses the important role of product standardization and personnel certification as effective tools for the deployment of new clean energy practices at the regional and national levels. In order to do so, this report compiles the results of the questionnaires developed and conducted by the meetMED experts to the key national quality infrastructure representatives across the SEM region. Furthermore, it provides categorized recommendations that were generated during a workshop held in Algiers in October 2019 .

Read the full meetMED report here!

In December 2019, the meetMED project in coordination with the EU Commission and the UFM secretariat organized in Barcelona a workshop on EE appliances with a focus on air conditioning and lighting technologies, which set up the Working Group on Air Conditioning within the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Platform for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. 23 participants from 16 Mediterranean countries attended the workshop and contributed to the discussion.

This meetMED report on EE for appliances – focus on air conditioning analyzes the results of the country surveys and of the debate held during the workshop . The analysis of possible EE policies focuses on the MEPS and labeling policies as well as on scrapping/replacement programs.

Special attention has been given to air conditioning, as it is one of the appliances with the highest electricity consumption in the Mediterranean region.

Read the full report here.

The meetMED Country Report on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Investment Climate in the Palestinian Territories has been published today on meetMED website. This aims at giving an overview of the energy efficiency and renewable energy markets in the Palestinian Territories providing for transparent and comprehensive analysis of the existing legal and regulatory framework applicable to an investment in the energy sector.

The report underlines the pressing need to deploy initiatives and actions in order to trigger more RE and EE investments and, hence, to deeply change the regulatory framework and the market rules in order to overcome the existing barriers and decrease the investment risks.

The report is the fruit of very effective teamwork between the experts from the Italian National Agency for Energy (ENEA) and from the Palestinian Energy Council (PEC) under the framework of the EU-funded meetMED project.

Read the full report here.

Professional trainings remain a key component to build on human capital and foster energy transition in the Mediterranean region. The publication of the meetMED training packages makes these materials replicable in future training activities, hence, making them concretely contribute to strengthening capacity and raising awareness among the representatives of the public and private sector.

The meetMED training package on Energy Audits in Industrial Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is designed to provide energy experts with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve energy efficiency and profitability in the industrial sector as well as to gain required methodology for the completion of a thorough energy audit. Furthermore, the course includes the exchange of regional experiences among the meetMED targeted countries, in planning and implementing EE plans and related measures for industrial SMEs. These training materials were first used in a 5-day training held in Cairo in December 2019.

The meetMED training package on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources in Buildings, instead, provides the stakeholders of the UfM Member States with theoretical and practical tools to integrate energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. For energy efficiency, this includes information concerning both the structural components of the building and the electromechanical equipment, as well as behavioural aspects; whilst, for renewable energy, this includes information concerning PV systems and solar thermal systems. Information concerning the use of
micro-grids has also been included. These training materials were first used in a 5-day training held in Tunis in February 2020.

Read the full training package on Energy Audits in Industrial Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) here.

Read the full training package on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources in Buildings here.

During the last decade, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries (SEMCs) have demonstrated their political will and commitment to deploy innovative green energy alternatives.

Besides their positive environmental effects, RE and EE projects can have major economic impacts. Hence, the newly released meetMED report maps the impact of RE and EE projects on local economies and labour market, by identifying the number of jobs created, as well as the employment factor, per technology and all along the value chain. Particularly, the report focuses on Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon.

The meetMED experts also prepared a regional proposal to investigate the possibility to create a regional impact assessment tool to calculate employment generated by RE and EE projects. This tool would be able to measure the net employment as well as the qualitative and quantitative assessment of the industrial, technological and professional qualifications and abilities needed in the SEMCs.

Read the full report here.

Read the full regional proposal here.

The building sector is one of the largest energy consumer sectors of the meetMED target countries, thus making it one of the main targets of the existing National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs).

The main goal of the meetMED report on EE in buildings is to provide an overview of the current EE measures implemented in the building sector of the target countries, with a special focus on energy efficiency building codes. It also identifies the principal challenges encountered in the implementation of the measures and concludes with set of recommendations to encourage and promote the development and implementation of EE measures, but also the enforcement of the already existing policies.

The meetMED REN experts drafted country papers, which were then discussed at the meetMED workshop held on 18 June 2019 in Tunis, Tunisia. This report is based on the country papers and discussions among the meetMED REN experts.

Read the full report here.

The “Concept Note for the Creation of an Industrial Association of EE and RES Components’ Manufacturing to serve Local Markets in the meetMED Target Countries” is out today!

The meetMED experts discussed the feasibility of the creation of Industrial RE and EE associations in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region at a workshop held in Cairo in November 2019. Regional experiences and national case studies from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon were shared and contributed to the preparation of this concept note for creating a regional industrial association that could benefit the EE and RE market, regionally and locally.

The creation of a solid structure (e.g. Associations) at national and -potentially – regional level would serve along various manufacturing operations to develop and introduce RE and EE measures, as well as to promote local production of RE and EE systems’ components. Associations could also serve as an industrial and commercial lobby defending and promoting the development of a local market through a clear and efficient public policy for energy transition, including regulation and financing means.

Read the full meetMED concept note here!

The meetMED Assessment of Appliances share of the Total Energy Consumption in the SEMCs – Special focus on Air Conditioning Appliances and the study on the Design of a Regional Program for Appliances in the SEMCs are now available on this website!

This meetMED report collects the results of questionnaires, interviews and field research in the target countries assessing the share of total energy consumption connected to the use of household appliances in general, with a special focus on air conditioning. Based on this report, the meetMED experts have prepared a proposal for the design of a regional program for energy efficient household appliances in the target countries.

The proposed regional program for appliances will work towards accelerating the adaptation of Standards and Labels (S&L) and MEPS and improving the effectiveness of national EE programs, which will contribute to the development of EE measures in the SEMCs region. This will be achieved via the alignment or harmonization of national MEPS, labelling and the facilitation of the exchange of knowledge, information and good practices between member countries.

Read the full meetMED report on the Appliances share of the Total Energy Consumption in the SEMCs here.

Read the full study on the preparation of a regional program for appliances here.

The Market Survey on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources Professional Training

Under the project’s capacity building activities, a market survey of the RES
and EE professional training schemes in Algeria, Egypt, Greece, France, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia was conducted by the meetMED experts. This was done in order to ascertain 1) the state of development of the training schemes for Renewable Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency; 2) the number of available courses; 3) the status of the training institutions; and 4) the quality of the training schemes in each of these countries. In conclusion, a gap analysis was elaborated, lessons learnt and best practices highlighted, and recommendations made in order to improve these professional training schemes.

 Read and download the full report here.

On 4 and 5 December 2019, 20 experts from Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal and Tunisia gathered at the Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona, Spain for the first meeting of the UfM Working Group (WG) on Energy Efficiency for Appliances.

The meetMED national experts presented their national experiences and engaged in topical discussion with experts from SE4All, UNEP, UNIDO C2E2, as well as from the ONG CLASP Europe and the private sector representatives from APPLiA and FRESH Egypt.

The discussion built on meetMED country questionnaires on EE in appliances and on the key meetMED reports on quality infrastructure, consumption of household appliances and regional labelling program, which will be published on the meetMED website in the upcoming months.  
The participants confirmed their interest to convene again the WG and indicated the need for a road map towards a common approach to standards and labels for appliances in the Mediterranean region in view of the UfM Ministerial meeting in 2021.

The work of the WG will be presented at the next meeting of the UfM REEE platform in January 2020.

On Wednesday, 4 December 2019, ENEA hosted in Rome the meetMED workshop “INVESTMENT CLIMATE FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY IN SELECTED MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES” in the presence of high level representatives of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, experts from the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) and the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), as well as other energy stakeholders involved in the meetMED activities.

The workshop presented preliminary country reports developed by ENEA on investment climate for energy efficiency and renewable energy in two strategic countries of the region, Algeria and Palestine. A roundtable was also held among experts to highlight the state-of-the- art among the other meetMED partner countries. The event was attended by stakeholders of the public and private sector, financing institutions and banks, experts and researchers, regional and international organizations as well as of the civil society.

The discussion underlined the need for further dialogue and a greater awareness of the opportunities arising from investments in energy efficiency and renewable energies, also in terms of job creation, as an effective tool to address social issues from a forward-looking perspective. A round table discussion took place among major stakeholders of the Mediterranean Energy Associations, RCREEE, MEDENER, APRUE, PEC, NREA, ALMEE, LCEC. This highlighted the current barriers faced by domestic and foreign direct investors in energy efficiency and/or in renewable energy and revealed possible solutions to overcome legislative and institutional gaps that were identified at national level

Last week, the meetMED project was invited to participate in the Clima-MED Workshop on the Action Plans for Access to Sustainable Energy and for Climate (PAAEDCs) held at the Centre of Training and Decentralisation Support (CFAD) in Tunis, Tunisia. The workshop was an occasion for meetMED and Clima-Med to explore the synergies between the two projects and identify areas of mutual interest for future closer cooperation.

Our Communication officer, Ms Alice Giallombardo, presented the meetMED Project at the presence of the representatives of the EU Delegation in Tunisia, the Tunisian Ministries for Local Affairs, Environment, and International cooperation, some NGOs, such as the WWF Tunisia and Tunisie Ecologie, and the representatives of around 20 Tunisian municipalities.

Despite their different scopes of action – meetMED targeting mostly the national agencies and ministries and Clima-Med focusing mostly on the local level –  the two projects share numerous goals, namely supporting sustainable climate and energy policies and strategies, identifying concrete pilot actions to be implemented by national and local authorities and facilitating climate investments and the setup of finance mechanisms at national and local levels.

When presenting meetMED activities taking place in Tunisia in the biennium 2109-2020, the audience at the Workshop showed a particular interest for the meetMED training courses, whose training packages are meant to be replicable across the SEMCs at different levels. Further collaboration between the two projects has been assessed as mutually beneficial and is envisaged soon.

The French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) and the Palestinian Energy Centre (PEC) have jointly organised a technical mission to Ramallah, Palestine on 17-19 September 2019, as part of the activities of the Workstream “National RE EE Strategies and Policies”.

The meetMED REN experts, Mr. Didier Bosseboeuf and Mr. Thierry Méraud met with the main Palestinian institutions involved in local energy policy and energy efficiency actions (Palestinian Energy Authority, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Palestinian Electricity Regulatory Council, Ministry of Environment Affairs) and other relevant stakeholders.

The mission aimed at evaluating opportunities and constraints to implement EE monitoring in Palestine with the same approach that has been tested in Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon and Morocco (see the main outcomes of the Workshop held in Lebanon last March here) and complements the mission carried out in Jordan in July 2019.

The first elements gathered during this mission are rather encouraging, since it has confirmed the interest of all the Palestinian interlocutors in the creation of a common regional Observatory, it has highlighted that EE tools and approaches have already been carried out in the country, and it has clearly highlighted PEC’s expectations and real needs. The third and last mission is foreseen for next November 2019 in Egypt.

The 2^nd UfM Energy and Climate Business Forum was held in Lisbon, Portugal on 18 July 2019. Organised by the Union for the Mediterranean together with the Portuguese Ministry of Environment and Energy Transition and the Portuguese Energy Agency (ADENE), the event specifically focused on “Supporting local authorities in their efforts towards the energy transition” and gathered 150 representatives of local authorities, mayors, stakeholders, private sector investors, companies, service providers, international financial institutions and international and regional organisations working in the field of energy and climate action.

In this context, Ms Roberta Boniotti, MEDENER Secretary General, was invited to present the meetMED Project. The energy transition is indeed at the heart of the meetMED Project, whose main goal is fostering the energy transition throughout all Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries (SEMCs) under the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI). Ms Boniotti illustrated meetMED activities particularly related to the main topic of the Forum: support to public authorities and local stakeholders. Firstly, she mentioned the establishment of a Regional Expert Network (meetMED REN), composed by more than 50 experts coming from the national agencies for EE and RE of 13 Mediterranean Countries. Its aim is to provide the necessary technical support to national, regional and local authorities for the assessment of the existing energy policies and the implementation of the necessary most advanced energy policies in the future Energy Transition Scenario. Secondly, she cited the elaboration of the meetMED training package and the organization of the corresponding training course, focused on the use of a sustainable energy design toolkit for public authorities and aimed at reinforcing public awareness and capacity building of local stakeholders.

As stated by Ms Boniotti, with respect to the implementation of integrated professional training courses, the meetMED project supports the planning of vocational training schemes for RES and EE experts in order to consolidate and improve the skills of relevant actors, who can be able to manage effectively RES and EE market penetration at the national, regional and local level.

With respect to regional cooperation, which was another key point of the Forum, the meetMED project supports regional collaboration, especially to build technical capacity for the energy transition in the eight target Countries of the project: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. Besides the intergovernmental cooperation among the SEMCs national energy agencies, meetMED has sought to build synergies with other EU-funded projects targeting the energy transition in the Mediterranean region, namely CLIMAMED, SWITCHMED and WES. Furthermore, in the framework of the Project, cooperation and interaction at the regional, national and local level are deemed necessary in order to spread common monitoring tools and benchmarks, such as EE and RE indicators and policy measures (ODYSSEE MURE), which can help public administrations to monitor periodically and evaluate the impact of EE and RE policies.

Finally, Ms Boniotti concluded by stating the importance of regional networks as potential experimental hubs where better dissemination and communication strategies as well as awareness-raising campaigns on EE and RE benefits can be developed by providing shared guidelines, studies and innovative tools that target different audiences.

On 18 June 2019, ANME hosted the second meeting of the meetMED REN experts, gathering the members of the task force on energy efficiency (EE) in buildings. This activity was coordinated by ANME (Tunisia), ADENE (Portugal), ADEME (France), ALMEE (Lebanon) and RCREEE.

During the workshop, the REN experts were asked to present the main achievements and challenges in the implementation of national measures for the EE in buildings and to discuss key issues relating to behavioral changes, financing, awareness-raising activities and capacity building, encountered at the national level.

The meeting was also an opportunity to share policy recommendations, which will contribute to draft the meetMED report on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Expected in October 2019, the report will cover the following meetMED countries: Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia.

At the end of the workshop, ANME General Director and the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GABC) signed the Tunisian Alliance for Buildings and Construction (TABC), which is the second national alliance for the building sector launched in the Mediterranean region – after the Moroccan one. The TABC will bring together the stakeholders in order to define a national action plan for energy efficient buildings and renovation in Tunisia.

The preliminary conclusions of the meetMED Workshop on EE in buildings are available here.

The two-days Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) meeting on Sustainability, Energy Efficiency, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in Housing took place on 27-28 June 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. The event aimed at identifying essential elements to be incorporated into the Action Plan on Urban Development for 2021-2027, by highlighting opportunities for twinning, capacity building, field visits, and raising awareness on EU calls for funding in the fields of sustainable, energy efficient, low carbon and resilient housing. In addition, its goal was to identify project ideas on sustainable housing that the European Investment Bank (EIB) could consider under its UfM-labelled Urban Projects Finance Initiative-Economic Resilience Initiative (UPFI-ERI), as well as UNIDO under its Sustainable Cities programme, by exploring possibilities for combining grants, loans, guarantees and finance strategies.

In this context, Dr Matteo Barra, meetMED Project Manager, was invited to illustrate the meetMED activities related to energy efficiency in the building sector in order to explore mutually reinforcing synergies and avoid possible duplication of efforts. In the field of energy efficient buildings, meetMED has consolidated its task forces of experts within the broader meetMED Regional Expert Network (meetMED REN), which counts 56 members from 13 countries. The meetMED REN taskforce on EE in buildings met last June in Tunis to discuss the national papers, the regional report (expected in Autumn 2019) and the preliminary conclusions on the institutional, regulatory and policy design. The meetMED REN taskforce on EE and RE monitoring, instead, met in Beirut in March 2019 to update the common monitoring tools in Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia and spread them to Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. The taskforce on EE in appliances, then, will discuss national papers and regional report in Cairo next October 2019. Finally, a meetMED professional training on EE in the building sector will take place in Tunis next January 2020.

Inputs proposed by Dr Barra to the UfM Action Plan for Urban Development (2021-2027) included creating synergies between meetMED activities on EE in the building sector and those of the UfM Working Group (WG) on Sustainable and Affordable Housing. Among others, UfM delegates were invited to join the meetMED taskforces as well as the meetMED professional trainings, so as to ensure a broader geographical impact of the meetMED activities. The institutional link between experts in housing and experts in energy is essential to implement the energy dimension of the urban agenda and, vice versa, the urban dimension of the energy agenda. This could result also in a coordination between the UfM REEE Platform and the UfM WG on Affordable Housing, the involvement of experts from the meetMED taskforce on EE in Buildings, and the support to the national and regional dimensions of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GABC) and of the Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) as incubators of pilot projects in the sector.

The meeting hosted also interventions by GABC, PEEB, EnvirobatBDM, the Barcelona School of Architecture, the World Green Building Council, Housing Europe, UN-Habitat, UNIDO and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The next meeting of the UfM WG on Sustainable and Affordable Housing will take place in November 2019 whilst the next annual meeting of the UfM Energy Platforms in January 2020, both at the UfM Headquarters in Barcelona.

Developed within the framework of the meetMED working area on “Reinforcing public awareness and capacity building of local stakeholders on EE and RES”, the first meetMED training on the use of Sustainable Energy Design Toolkit for Public Authorities has wrapped up yesterday in Algiers, Algeria.

Hosted by the Algerian National Agency for the Promotion and Rationalisation of Energy Use (APRUE), the meetMED training course has been co-organized by CRES (Greece) in cooperation with ANME (Tunisia) and RCREEE, based on the sustainable energy design training package jointly designed by ANME (Tunisia), ADENE (Portugal), CRES (Greece) and ENEA (Italy), and building on sustainable energy toolkits already designed in other projects, such as CES–MED, SUDEP, INSMART, the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy initiative and Clima South.

Its main aim was to provide representatives of national and local public authorities with guidelines on the use of sustainable energy design toolkit as well as of financing solutions for sustainable energy projects in a context of improved multi-level governance and better adaptation of EU legislation to local realities in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries.

More than 20 participants from 9 Mediterranean countries signed up for the training and came up with useful suggestions to improve the role of national energy agencies and authorities in supporting RE and EE planning and implementation, including at the local level. In particular, during the five-days training, it was underlined the essential role public authorities play in setting the goals and monitoring their implementation as well as in leading by example in the design of EE and RE projects. Special relevance was given also to regional cooperation, as key element to share common monitoring tools – such as EE and RE indicators, effective methodologies for energy audits and qualifications for energy managers, as well as experiences on EE in public buildings and finance schemes to implement energy efficiency actions. At this regard, regional cooperation at local level was encouraged in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors. With respect to communication and transparency, greater involvement of stakeholders at different levels was urged as well as improved communication on energy planning activities and the creation of energy communities to increase social acceptance of RE and EE projects. Finally, concerning more financial aspects, it was identified the need to carry out life-cycle cost analysis for EE supplies in public procurement and to simplify the access to information on green and climate finance.

The meetMED Sustainable Energy Design Toolkit for Public Authorities is available on meetMED website here!

The next meetMED trainings will take place in December 2019 in Cairo, Egypt and in January 2020 in Tunis, Tunisia. The first will focus on Energy Audits in Industrial SMEs, whilst the latter will focus on EE and RE in Buildings. More information will be circulated in the next months.

On 19 June 2019, the meetMED team took part in the event co-organised by MEDENER and EUROMED Cities Network in the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week 2019 in Brussels. Moderated by Mr Matteo Barra, meetMED Project Manager, the event explored the “Role of Local Authorities and National Agencies for Efficient Buildings in the Mediterranean region” and focused particularly on the possible ways to scale-up and foster innovative tools for energy efficient buildings. The debate among the panellists has been trigged after the lack of political commitment was identified by the public in the room as the main missing element to foster energy transition in the building sector. The panellists reacted to the provocative outcome of the poll by presenting diverse initiatives to tackle the problem at different governance levels. By opening the debate, representatives from the European Commission, the Union for the Mediterranean and MEDENER presented the initiatives taken in the Mediterranean region at the supranational level. Firstly, Mr Eero Ailio, Adviser on Energy Transition and Local Governance at the DG Energy of the European Commission, emphasised the key role local authorities play – particularly when grouped in networks, like the Covenant of Mayors – to ensure that EU and national policies have an effective impact on the ground. The Senior Deputy Secretary General for Energy and Climate Action of the Union for the Mediterranean, Mr Jorge Borrego, stressed the importance of energy transition as an effective way to act against climate change. He continued by acknowledging the role the meetMED Project is playing on the matter especially through the work carried out by its task forces of experts on EE in Buildings and EE in appliances. Particular attention has been given also to the process of the refurbishment of existing buildings, often overshadowed as, most of the times, the owners of the buildings requiring renovation are not their actual users. The Secretary General of MEDENER, Ms Roberta Boniotti, gave an overview of the work carried out by Association in the field, including the activities carried out by 8 out if its 13 members in the framework of the meetMED project with the aim of putting energy efficiency and renewable energy at the heart of public policy making in the countries of both the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean. Ms Boniotti highlighted the importance of raising public authorities’ awareness with respect to the feasibility of investments in the EE and RE sectors. Likewise, the Secretary General of EUROMED Cities Network, Mr Bernard Massabo, shed the light on the relevance of creating synergies in the whole Mediterranean area, which may trigger the replication of good practices. Particularly, he mentioned the activities EUROMED Cities is implementing in the framework of the INTERREG programme.

The panel discussion addressed the topic of innovative tools for energy efficient buildings from a more local perspective, thus providing very practical examples. Mr Evangelos Evangelides, Mayor of Aradippou (Cyprus), stressed the importance of informing the citizens about the incentives and policies in force at the municipal level to make buildings more energy efficient. Particularly, he described the initiative of the reward cards implemented by his Municipality – where citizens accumulate points for any EE measures implemented, equivalent to a tax reduction of the same amount – and the pilot action plan for the zero production of household waste, in force by September 2019. Ms Claire Roumet, Executive officer of Energy Cities, contributed to the debate by emphasizing the key role played by innovative technological tools, like ECOLOCAL – a mobile App tracking energy consumption in the different buildings – and by projects targeting reduction of energy consumption in schools, where pupils have the right and the responsibility to choose how to invest savings coming from reduced energy consumption in their schools. Mr Pier Luigi Porta, Researcher at ENEA, presented the TEESCHOOLS project, which provides new solutions to Local Authorities both in technical and financial terms to implement Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) renovation activities in Mediterranean schools, thus raising awareness also among the youngest generations. These initiatives have shown that children pay more attention to the issues relating to energy transition and climate change compared to their parents, who, thanks to them, learn to act more responsibly on these matters. Mr Philippe Masset, Deputy Director of the Europe and International Division at ADEME, and Mr Radouan Yessouf, Head of Energy Efficiency in the BuildingDivision at AMEE, provided, then, concrete examples of measures implemented by national energy agencies from two Mediterranean countries. Mr Masset illustrated the actions implemented by ADEME in the framework of the broader French multilevel governance system, which intertwines national initiatives on energy efficiency with the regional ones. For instance, ADEME, in cooperation with the Regional Council of Ile de France, created a private-public company to help financing energy consumption reduction measures and overcome the barriers to investments in the sector. Furthermore, a Regional Council made up of 17 French regions, established a dedicated platform for energy efficiency renovation in buildings, which is meant to train all the stakeholders involved in the sector and to make investments more effective on people’s lives. Likewise, Mr Yessouf presented the main measures implemented in Morocco, where the building sector is one of the most energy-intensive sectors. All EE policy measures need for strong financial incentives from the public institutions, especially in the first years of their implementation. Among other incentives, Morocco decided to exempt imports of EE materials from VAT and other custom tariffs as well as to help Moroccan private companies through the Programme MorSEFF, supported by the European Union. In addition, Morocco managed to support its national energy transition thanks to an initiative aimed at modernising energy systems in mosques and other public buildings and at creating new jobs: The Green Mosques and Buildings Project, which was initiated in 2014 by the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Religious Affairs in cooperation with SIE, the Moroccan state energy investment company, and AMEE.

On Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 April 2019 at APRUE Headquarters in Algiers, meetMED experts met with local stakeholders in order to map and discuss Algerian climate for investments in EE and RES sectors .

Mrs. Nadia DJELOUAH, Mr Kamal DALI, and Mrs. Nadia CHIOUKH from APRUE organised the meetings in collaboration with ENEA experts, Mr. Roberto DEL CIELLO and Mrs Lorenza DARODA. APRUE and ENEA are jointly carrying out meetMED activities aimed at mapping climate for investments and market structure in selected countries, in order to mitigate investment risks for predefined RES and EE technologies.

The mission aimed to collect all documents, information, studies and laws related to the safeguard of foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the EE and RES sectors in Algeria. In this framework, meetMED experts had the opportunity to meet with representatives of many Algerian institutions, such as the Ministry of Energy,  the Ministry of Industry and Mines, the Ministry of Environment, the National Agency for the Development of Investment, the National Agency of Climate Change. Furthermore, in the presence of the General Director of APRUE, Mr Mohamed Salah BOUZERIBA,  they discussed and exchanged views with representatives of the largest national public companies in the energy sector – namely, SONATRACH, SONELGAZ and SKTM –  as well as of other Algerian private companies working on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – such as SONARIC, ENPEC, OXXO, ELEC El Djazair- and of the Non Governmental Organization, CARE. Finally, meetMED activities and their current progress have been presented to the stakeholders participating in the meetings.

The information collected during the mission and through the questionnaires prepared by ENEA will help draft the meetMED Country Report on Algeria.

Last week, Dr Dario Chello, president of MEDENER, was invited in Beirut by ALMEE (the Lebanese Association for Energy Saving and Environment) to discuss the meetMED approach to energy transition on the occasion of the Plenary Session of the 4^th International Conference on Renewable Energies for Developing countries (REDEC 2018). In particular, he stressed that:

• Nowadays, multilateralism lacks a solid support;
• Despite this, the two main challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean Region – climate change and migration – cannot be faced easily at the national level;
• The undesirable effects of climate change are getting everyday more and more visible and there is no much time left to act;
• The completion of a free market for energy requires a significant amount of time. The EU internal market was launched in 1993 after 10 years spent setting it up. After 35 years, this market is now working properly enough but unfortunately, we cannot wait 35 years more for the completion of a broader Euro-Mediterranean market. Time to act is running out;

• Conversely, meetMED is trying to speed up energy transition in the region as much as possible, thanks to a multilateral and pragmatic approach aiming at fostering immediate actions independently from the legislative and regulatory framework of each single State.

For further information about the Conference, please visit REDEC 2018 website.