Washington, D.C. April 2011 – The second Project Steering Committee meeting for the Transformation for Efficient Lighting Project was recently held in Washington, D.C. at the offices of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Key members of the committee included representatives from the National Research Defense Council (NRDC), the National Lighting Test Centre (NLTC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), GEF, OSRAM, Philips Lighting, and UNEP.
The meeting kicked off with an overview and status report of the en.lighten initiative since its inception in April 2011. The goal of the project is to speed up transition to efficient light in developing countries through; the promotion of high performance technologies, the phase-out of inefficient incandescent lamps, and, the substitution of fuel-based lighting. A key component of initiative is a team of global Taskforces which include over 40 international experts who provide technical information and guidance.
There are an impressive amount of lighting initiatives that are being undertaken by each of the project steering committee member organizations. The UNDP has eight initiatives underway that are being funded by the GEF. The GEF itself, is currently involved in over 40 lighting related projects that are either underway or in for endorsement. The World Bank is presently working on projects in South and Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Three major lighting projects are now progressing in Vietnam, Peru and Morocco. The en.lighten initiative will act as the umbrella organization to provide guidance and technical expertise to support all of these programs to ensure a coordinated effort.
The Project Steering Committee meets once a year to provide strategic direction and ensure that an integrated approach to energy efficient lighting is occurring globally. Topics under discussion included the issue of harmonizing performance, recycling, and labeling requirements. The results of the recent Country Lighting Assessments were also reviewed and met with positive response. Proposed activities for 2011 by all of the participating organizations were discussed and approved.
En.lighten is in the process of organizing regional meetings to bring together key stakeholders to review the direction developed by the various en.lighten expert taskforces and formulate strategies for implementing phase-out programs in these territories. The meetings are expected to take place in Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa and will serve to address barriers to the transition to efficient lighting and promote market transformation with a regional approach.