Alliance To Save Energy / Kyiv office: 1/13 Rohnidynska St., Apt. 4, Kyiv, 01004, Ukraine
Tel: 380 (44) 2273187 Fax: 380 (44) 2464799 http://www.ase.org

ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY

SEVENTH MEETING
OF THE MULTILATERAL CLIMATE CHANGE WORKING GROUP

World Bank Conference Hall 2 Lysenko St., Kyiv, 01034,
Ukraine Tuesday, 13 February 2001, 16:00 – 18:00
Meeting Report

1. INTRODUCTION

The seventh meeting of the Multilateral Climate Change Working Group was held at the World Bank Kyiv office on February 13, 2001. The meeting was organized during the visit of the World Bank’s mission that came to Kyiv to take part in the kick-off meeting of the World Bank “National JI Strategy Study (NSS) for Ukraine Program” funded by the Government of Switzerland. The purpose of the meeting was:

• to present the World Bank NSS Program and discuss it by representatives of the Government of Ukraine and international donor organizations,
• to compare the World Bank’s Program with other international programs on climate change, being implemented in Ukraine, with the aim of avoiding duplication of efforts and promoting cooperation and coordination of programs;
• to promote a dialogue and cooperation between Multilateral Climate Change Working Group (MLCCWG), Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine (MENRU) and Inter-Ministerial Commission on Climate Change (IMCCC)

Meeting attendees included representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, the European Union’s TACIS Programme, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of Finland, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Canada-Ukraine Environmental Cooperation Program, the US Agency for International Development, the Climate Change Initiative, PA Government Services Inc., Magister & Partners and Alliance to Save Energy. An agenda and a list of meeting attendees are attached to this report.  

2. MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome & Introductions

• Mr. Alexei Slenzak, Operations Officer Environment Sector on behalf of the World Bank Country Office welcomed meeting participants and introduced members of the World Bank mission.

Overview of the NSS Program

• Mr. Peter Kalas, NSS Program Manager of the World Bank, outlined the National JI Strategy Study Program for Ukraine. The NSS Program is beeing implemented in 26 countries such as Uzbekistan, Russia, Colombia, Argentina, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Vietnam. Ukraine is the sixteenth country to join the Program. Mr. Kalas noted that implementation of the NSS Program for Ukraine should be regarded as a value-added component of international efforts to assist Ukraine in developing its strategy and awareness on climate change. Mr. Kalas positively assessed last year’s meeting between representatives of the World Bank NSS Program and the Multilateral Climate Change Working Group and stressed the importance of cooperation with other international donors and the Government of Ukraine in order to make the best use of existing resources and prevent duplication of efforts while implementing the NSS Program for Ukraine.
• Mr. Helmut Schreiber, Principal Environmental Economist of the World Bank, informed meeting participants about the World Bank’s intention to move its future climate change mitigation projects to NIS countries and to help Ukraine fulfill its obligations toward the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He outlined opportunities for Ukraine’s participation in relevant projects of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF) funded by the World Bank. Thus far, Ukraine has not received GEF projects on climate change, and in order to become eligible for PCF projects, Ukraine must submit a letter of interest by the end of 2001.
• Mr. Giorgio Fontana, Coordinator of the Cooperation Office of Embassy of Switzerland, emphasized that the NSS Program for Ukraine is not designed to produce a concrete benefit for Ukraine. The Government of Switzerland supports the Kyoto “flexible mechanisms” as a cost-effective way to mitigate climate change. The Swiss Government contributed $4M of the $7.5M budget of the World Bank NSS Program, with additional funding provided by the governments of Germany, Canada, Finland and Australia.

The National JI Strategy Study for Ukraine

• Mr. Oleg Riabokon, Director of Magister & Partners, Attorneys-at-Law, outlined the main objectives of the National JI Strategy Study for Ukraine. The main objective of the National JI Strategy Study is to provide Ukrainian authorities with a tool for developing options to analyze the issues and opportunities afforded by potential international markets for GHG emission reductions through the JI mechanism. Mr. Riabokon explained that, in order to achieve this objective, the study will:

• quantify the potential for GHG emission reductions in Ukraine and assess the related cost of GHG reductions;
• analyze the choices Ukraine faces in addressing climate change in the context of its national development objectives;
• assess and highlight opportunities created by the potential market for JI projects and GHG emission reductions;
• assess regulatory, institutional and other capacities for implementing JI in Ukraine;
• develop a realistic domestic portfolio of possible JI projects, and
• recommend a national action plan to address policy and institutional development.

Mr. Riabokon noted that the management of The National JI Strategy Study (NSS) for Ukraine welcomes information exchange and cooperation with other international climate change programs in Ukraine. A seminar for teams of Ukrainian and Swiss experts is scheduled to be held in Kyiv during the next 3-4 weeks to discuss program implementation issues.

Comparison of the World Bank, US and Canada climate change mitigation activities in Ukraine

• Mr. Tom Lemley, Alliance/Ukraine Program Manager presented comparison charts that illustrate the climate change mitigation activities of the US-Ukraine Climate Change Initiative, funded by the US Agency for International Development, the Canada-Ukraine Environmental Cooperation Program on Climate Change, funded by the Canada International Development Agency, and the World Bank and Swiss Government’s National Joint Implementation Strategy Study for Ukraine. Mr. Lemley pointed out possible uses for the charts, such as identifying areas of potential cooperation between international technical assistance programs and identifying areas for possible additional activities or assistance. The charts were developed by the Alliance to Save Energy in its role as secretariat of the USAID-funded Multilateral Climate Change Working Group.

Coordination of international climate change mitigation activities in Ukraine

• Mr. Dan Thompson, Environmental Advisor for the US Agency for International Development expressed support for coordinating international climate change activities in Ukraine to avoid duplication of efforts. As an example, he proposed the idea of using the web site launched by the US-Ukraine Climate Change Initiative (CCI) as a basis for developing a joint climate change web site that could eventually be turned over to Ukraine. He offered all interested donors access to the database of contact information of Ukrainian experts that have taken part in CCI training program, and to special GHG emissions calculation software developed by CCI. Mr. Thompson cited CCI’s work on coal bed methane, power plants, industrial boilers and district heating as priority areas for JI in Ukraine. He also announced that CCI is planning a climate change investors’ conference in 2002 and would like to coordinate the event with other climate change programs. Finally, Mr. Thompson suggested that taking advantage of opportunities for multilateral coordination of activities might reduce the overall administrative burden on the relatively small number of GOU representatives who are responsible for overseeing climate change activities.
• Ms. Oksana Demkiv, Program Officer on Environmental Issues of the UNDP Country Office, commented that the comparison charts are a valuable source of information on climate change activities taking part in Ukraine. As an implementing agency of GEF, UNDP is developing its own pipeline of environmental projects and seeks opportunities to collaborate with other international climate change programs in the development of a database on potential JI projects.
• Mr. Kalas stated that the comparison charts could help to avoid gaps in international climate change-related technical assistance and stressed that the NSS Program for Ukraine was also designed to provide tools for personnel of MENRU and the Government of Ukraine in their climate change-related activities. He added that the World Bank plans on-going analysis of climate change activities in Ukraine and expects to modify the initial Terms of Reference within three to four weeks.
• Mr. Schreiber confirmed that at the beginning of March an inception report on the project will be developed and that he welcomes comments from international donors on how to improve the initial TOR and avoid duplication of efforts. He suggested that comments be addressed to either Mr. Riabokon, as the project contact person in Ukraine, Mr. Kalas as a general coordinator of the World Bank NSS Program, Mr. Slenzak, as a contact person at the World Bank Kyiv office, or himself as the contact person at the Bank’s Washington DC office. He also suggested, in light of previous comments about limited personnel resources on the Ukrainian side, that there might be benefits of the NSS project implementer dealing directly with the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Climate Change rather than creating a new structure to steer the project.
• Mr. Slenzak thanked participants and encouraged the Ukrainian and Swiss teams involved in NSS project implementation to cooperate with the Alliance in order to promote broad access to information on climate change mitigation activities.

Next meeting

• Mr. Lemley proposed holding the next MLCCWG meeting within one to two months, and said that in the meantime, the Alliance intends to distribute a questionnaire among the meeting participants to solicit members’ views on the MLCCWG’s past activities, preferences for activities going forward, and potential areas of collaboration. He noted that upcoming meeting agenda might include such topics as technical assistance in the development of the national GHG emissions inventory, preparation for COP-6b, and a roundtable meeting of energy efficiency project implementers. Mr. Lemley recognized representatives of MENRU who attended the meeting and, referring to previous comments, emphasized that MLCCWG was established not to burden, but to assist the GOU by promoting dialogue and regular communication between them and international climate change donors.

Closing remarks

• Mr. Georgiy Veremiychyk, Deputy Head of Division of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine thanked the World Bank and other donors for their assistance in the development of Ukraine’s strategy on climate change and supported their proposal regarding development of working relations between the MLCCWG and MENRU.
• Mr. Vasyl Grygorovych, Senior Officer of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine stated his intention to prepare and disseminate a report on the meeting to appropriate representatives of the IMCCC and MENRU. He emphasized MENRU’s intention to cooperate with international donors.
• Mr. Lemley informed participants that the Ukrainian NGO Climate Change Working Group had asked the Alliance for assistance in informing donors about a planned public awareness tour on climate change and that the Alliance expected to pass on information as soon as it was received from the NGO Working Group.

Adjourn The meeting was adjourned.  

Seventh Meeting
Multilateral Climate Change Working Group
World Bank Conference Hall, First Floor,

Kyiv, Lysenko, 2
Tuesday, February 13, 2001, 16:00 - 18:00

Objectives:

Presentation of the World Bank “National JI Strategy Study (NSS) for Ukraine” Program and discussing it by representatives of the Government of Ukraine and international donor organizations Comparing the World Bank’s Program with other international programs on climate change, beeing implemented in Ukraine, with the aim of avoiding duplication of efforts and promoting cooperation and coordination of relevant programs Promoting a dialogue and cooperation between Multilateral Climate Change Working Group (MLCCWG), Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine (MENRU) and Inter-Ministerial Commission on Climate Change (IMCCC)

Provisional agenda:

Time	Issue	Speakers
16:00 - 16:20	Welcoming remarks, overview National Strategy Study Program, regional context, role of the Swiss Government	Alexei Slenzak, The World Bank Yuriy Ruban, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Peter Kalas, The World Bank Helmut Schreiber, The World Bank Giorgio Fontana, Embassy of Switzerland
16:20 - 16:45	The National JI Strategy Study (NSS) for Ukraine	Oleg Riabokon, Magister & Partners
16:45 - 17:00	Presentation of international donor programs in the area of climate change. Comparison of the World Bank, US and Canada climate change mitigation activities in Ukraine	Tom Lemley & Stanislav Potapenko, Alliance to Save Energy Iryna Trofimova, Canada-Ukraine Environmental Cooperation Program Other participants
17:00 - 17:20	Questions and comments on the above presentations	Representatives of MENRU, MLCCWG and international climate change programs
17:20 - 17:40	Open discussion - Coordination of international climate change mitigation activities in Ukraine and cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and Multilateral Climate Change Working Group	Representatives of MENRU, MLCCWG and international climate change programs
17:40 - 17:50	Provisional date and agenda for the next meeting of MLCCWG	Tom Lemley, Alliance to Save Energy
17:50 - 18:00	Closing remarks	Peter Kalas, The World Bank Yuriy Ruban, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine

SEVENTH MEETING
OF THE MULTILATERAL CLIMATE CHANGE WORKING GROUP

LIST OF ATTENDEES

Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine

• Georgiy Veremiychyk, Deputy Head, Division of Environmental Monitoring
• Vasyl Hryhorovych, Senior Officer, Department of International Cooperation and European Integration

TACIS

• Svitlana Kaltygina, Expert, National Coordinating Unit

Netherlands

• Jeroen van Drunen, Third Secretary, Royal Netherlands Embassy

Finland

• Jenni Korjus, Secretary Coordinator on Technical and Cultural Cooperation, Embassy of Finland

Switzerland

• Giorgio Fontana, Head of Cooperation Office, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland
• Svitlana Didkivska, Program Officer, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

United Nations Development Programme

• Oksana Demkiv, Programme Officer on Environmental Issues

The World Bank

• Peter Kalas, NSS Program Manager, Global Climate Change, Environmental Department
• Helmut Schreiber, Principal Environmental Economist, Energy Department
• Raili Kajaste, Senior Environmental Specialist, Rural Development and Environment Sector
• Alexei Slenzak, Operations Officer Environment Sector

Canada

• Iryna Trofimova, Advisor, Canadian-Ukrainian Environmental Cooperation Program

USA

• Dan Thompson, Environmental Advisor, USAID
• Tetiana Kornilova, Project Management Specialist – Energy, USAID

Climate Change Initiative

• Natalya Parasyuk, Deputy Director
• Niels de Terra, Consultant, PA Government Services Inc.

Magister & Partners

• Oleg Riabokon, Director

Alliance to Save Energy

• Tom Lemley, Alliance Ukraine Program Manager
• Stanislav Potapenko, Climate Change Specialist
• Andriy Vasylego, Ofice Manager