About the 4th workshop

On 29 and 30 September 2004 over 70 persons from Export Credit Agencies, finance institutions, renewable energy companies (including industry associations), and NGOs gathered for the 4th UNEP Workshop on the Environment, which was hosted by the Italian ECA SACE, in Rome.

Day one was largely devoted to an exchange of views and experience on transparency of decision-making processes and sustainability reporting by ECAs. Participants discussed the practicability and modalities of ex ante and ex post reporting and how best to manage consultation with relevant stakeholders. Day one concluded with presentations and additional discussion on the current status of ECA support for renewable energy and other environmentally friendly technologies, including possible changes to the OECD Arrangements governing Export Credits and Credit Guarantees.

Day two focused on presentations and small group discussions on measures that would help ECAs provide increased support for renewable energy projects, including new products that would support investment in renewable energy and other environmentally friendly technologies. Discussions in part built on work of a multi-stakeholder working group that met in the lead up to the International Conference for Renewable Energies, Bonn June 2004. This group had produced an Executive Briefing: Making it Happen: Renewable Energy Finance and the Role of Export Credit Agencies.

Workshop Conclusion

At the workshop conclusion, UNEP summarized five areas for possible action by ECAs and their partners:

• Review the Japan Bank for International Cooperation's model of ex ante public consultation and consider adopting a similar approach
  
  
• Explore new mechanisms and metrics to report on their activities in the area of Sustainable Development, either in general or focusing on the environment and greenhouse gas emissions
  
  
• Promote greater awareness within the renewable energy industry about ECA products and services, working with associations and national trade promotion agencies
  
  
• Examine and commit to date collection on renewable energy exports supported (or not) by ECAs
  
  
• Examine in greater detail than possible today how existing ECA products and services can be adapted and applied to carbon finance as a new, growing, and sometimes puzzling component of project finance.

UNEP committed to keeping the annual workshop as a useful means of exchanging information and experience amongst a diverse group. UNEP will conduct an informal survey to determine what topics or issues are of particular interest and, with an ECA partner, organize the next workshop around these topics.

Workshop Presentations and Related Material

Day One

• Transparency Guidelines - strategy and practical experience (PDF - 439 KB)
  Kazuo Matsushita, Japan Bank for International Cooperation
  
  
• Transparency of JBIC thorough the Environmental and Social Guidelines (PDF - 52 KB)
  Naomi Kanzaki, Friends of the Earth Japan
  
  
• Need for transparency - practical examples from an NGO perspective (PDF - 55 KB)
  Co-ordinated by Regine Richter, Urgewald
  
  
• Sustainability Reporting (PDF - 64 KB)
  Experience from the process used by the UNEP FI and the GRI, Sean Gilbert,GRI Sustainable Development Performance Indicators, David Allwood, ECGD
  
  
• The Bonn Renewables Conference - what has happened, planned follow up (PDF - 85 KB)
  Mark Radka, Energy Programme Coordinator, UNEP
  
  
• The Executive Briefing prepared for Bonn - the main findings (PDF - 58 KB)
  Diana Smallridge, International Financial Consulting
  
  
• Development of New Product (PDF - 60 KB)
  Diana Smallridge, International Financial Consulting
  
  
• The session at the SEFI conference in Bonn - summary of discussions and outcomes
  Andrew Dlugolecki, ANDLUG Consulting
  Related material: SEFI communiqué (PDF - 55 KB)
  
  
• The Status of OECD Discussions on the Arrangements (PDF - 45 KB)
  Eckhard Moltrecht, Hermes Kreditversicherungen

Day Two

• Risk Perception and Environmental Projects - Bridging the Gap (PDF - 47 KB)
  Andrew Dlugolecki, ANDLUG Consulting
  
  
• Database of Renewables Projects Approved, Renewables Projects Not Approved (PDF - 117 KB)
  Cory Firestone, US EXIM
  
  
• Incentives and new mechanisms for Renewable Energy Development (PDF - 619 KB)
  Giulio Dal Magro, SACE
  
  
• Renewable Energy Market: Structure and Associated Risk (PDF - 535 KB)
  Giulia Guidi, SACE
  
  
• Sustainability and Due Diligence Guidelines: Description of WWEA's sustainability guidelines, developed as a tool to decrease transaction costs in wind project development.
  Stefan Gsaenger, World Wind Energy Association
  Related Material: WWEA Sustainability and Due Diligence Guidelines (PDF - 334 KB)
  
  
• Renewable Energy Industry in Italy: Local Constraints and Foreign Opportunities (PDF - 214 KB)
  Roberto Longo, President of APER
  
  
• How can bundling of small projects be done? (PDF - 119 KB)
  Interactive Session on Development of New Products and Carbon Risks

Related Document

Agenda (PDF - 75 KB)

Field trip (PDF - 150 KB)

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