Energy efficiency week launched in Quito

QUITO, 24 September 2012 – The first of four events to promote energy efficiency in the productive sectors of Latin American and the Caribbean took place in Quito, Ecuador, today.

The events, which together form the Energy Efficiency Week, running from 24 to 28 September, are being organized by the Ministry of Industry and Competitiveness of Ecuador (MIPRO), the Latin American Energy Association (OLADE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). 

The Energy Efficiency Week brings together policymakers and high-level technical staff from ministries of Industry, Productivity, Environment and Energy from over 20 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, as well as experts from development agencies and international financial institutions present in the region. The aim is to promote the development of technology solutions that improve competitiveness through higher productive and environmental performance, leading to job creation and poverty reduction.

Of the four events, three will be co-organized by MIPRO and UNIDO, and one will be hosted by OLADE. Each event will focus on different aspects of energy efficiency, as follows:

On September 24 and 25 there is an expert group meeting with the title, Industrial knowledge to promote growth based on resource efficiency: waste and energy. Part of UNIDO’s worldwide advocacy for green industrial policies, the meeting will allow for discussions on policies, programmes and business solutions to achieve the widespread uptake of proven techniques and technologies that improve the productive and environmental performance of industrial sectors and SMEs.

On 26 September, Lenín Moreno, Vice President of Ecuador, will present policies for the integration of people with special skills in the labour market to open an event entitled, Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production for a Green Industry in Latin American and the Caribbean. Participants will learn from the experiences of the UNIDO National Cleaner Production Centers (NCPCs) and National Cleaner Production Programmes (NCPPs).

Later in the week, there will be a meeting to analyze an initiative taken by UNIDO to evaluate and monitor green growth in Latin America using a series of indicators developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). The Green Growth Indicators initiative forms part of UNIDO’s work with seven LAC countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru). It will soon be expanded to cover the entire region and become the first regional tool to monitor such growth.

The week will end with a Regional Meeting on Energy Efficiency for Industry, organized by the OLADE. The organization is in the process of creating a LAC Energy Efficiency Network.