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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.