Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Lebanon (2020)
Over the next two years and through a total budget of USD 828,159 the project will support and empower the Ministry of environment to drive the process of programming of resources and maximize the effectiveness of the Fund. It will also assist the Ministry in building a foundation for results-oriented, transformational and efficient usage of international climate finance. The readiness project will also support the process of developing the capacity of national stakeholders to plan for, access, manage, and monitor climate change finance. This project focuses on two pillars of activities: a) Building and strengthening the institutional capacity of the NDA and national entities in Lebanon to access climate finance. This shall include the establishment of an effective coordination mechanism and No-Objection Procedure (NOP - a condition for approval for all funding proposals submitted to the GCF, based on a set of criteria to ensure consistency with national climate strategies), consultations with stakeholders, and the development of a framework to monitor climate finance flows. b) Helping Lebanon prepare a country programme with climate mitigation and adaptation investement strategies and projects, through the active involvement of all stakeholders, with a focus on the private sector.
Lebanon's Second Biennial Update Report (BURII) (2016)
The report present Lebanon's greenhouse gas emissions until the year 2013, as well as the envisaged mitigation measures. The communication also presents the gaps and constraints in reporting this information. The key takeaways from the report are that in 2013, Lebanon emitted 26,285 Gg CO2eq. with the most significant GHG being carbon dioxide, primarily produced from the burning of fossil fuels. The main contributor to GHG emissions is still the energy sector (including transport) with 79% of GHG emissions, followed by industrial processes (10%) and waste sector (7%). CO2 removals from the land use, land use change and forestry category amounted to 3,518.80 Gg CO2, bringing Lebanon’s net emissions down to 22,766 Gg CO2eq. Lebanon's second BUR was submitted to the UNFCCC in October 2017.
Enlighten Initiative (2013)
The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Enlighten Initiative has been established to accelerate global market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies by developing a coordinated global strategy and providing technical support for phase-out of inefficient lighting. It assists countries in accelerating market transformation with environmentally sustainable, efficient lighting technologies by promoting high performance, developing a global policy strategy to phase-out inefficient and obsolete lighting products, and substituting traditional fuel-based lighting with modern, efficient alternatives.
Low Emission Capacity Building Project (LECB)
Funded by the European Commission (EC), the German Federal Government and the Australian Government, the Low Emission Capacity Building Project (LECB) will pave the way for the establishment of a national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory system, prepare full Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) proposals, and establish a national Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system.
Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting by Commercial and Industrial Establishments Decision (99/1)
The guidelines were published in the Official Gazette of the Lebanese Republic on the 18
th of April 2013 issue number 17. The decision has seven articles that describe the procedures and documentation required to submit information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the previous calendar year to the Ministry of Environment (MoE), in lieu of which the former issues a “Statement of Declaration” to the respective industrial or commercial establishment.
Low Emission Capacity Building Project (LECB) (2013)
Funded by the European Commission (EC), the German Federal Government and the Australian Government, the Low Emission Capacity Building Project (LECB) will pave the way for the establishment of a national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory system, prepare full Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) proposals, and establish a national Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system.
Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting by Commercial and Industrial Establishments Decision (99/1) (2013)
The guidelines were published in the Official Gazette of the Lebanese Republic on the 18
th of April 2013 issue number 17. The decision has seven articles that describe the procedures and documentation required to submit information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the previous calendar year to the Ministry of Environment (MoE), in lieu of which the former issues a “Statement of Declaration” to the respective industrial or commercial establishment.
Third National Communication (TNC) to the UNFCCC (2013)
The Third National Communication (TNC) will endeavor to acquire a more profound understanding of the driving forces behind the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the key categories as input for the design of adequate development mitigation policies. The TNC envisages extending the coverage to the period 2005 - 2010 and improving the existing time-series from the previous National Communications (NCs) for key sectors.
Climate Change Coordinating Unit (CCCU) (2013)
The Climate Change Coordinating Unit (CCCU) is designed to improve climate change governance through developing national and sectoral plans to coordinate climate change initiatives. The CCCU proposal illustrates the coordination mechanism, which includes the planning and communication with national, regional and international partners. The project is also designed to seek funding donors for the development and implementation of a low-carbon and climate resilient agenda. The Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the National Council for the Environment (NCE) on March 28th, 2012. The project will use the NCE as a platform to initiate its activities and take the role of the Secretariat Office within the NCE.
The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Lebanon (NEEAP) (2011)
The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Lebanon (NEEAP) comprises 14 initiatives that are designed to promote, support and raise awareness on renewable energy and energy efficiency applications in Lebanon. NEEAP was developed by the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) with administrative and financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) (2011)
This is the second round of the Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) project and is considered as the update of the first TNA project that was completed in 2003. The second round looks at four sectors (two for adaptation and two for mitigation) and identifies market barriers and proposes measures to overcome them.
Italian Cooperation for Development - Climate Change Mitigation Project (2011)
This project is a collaborative initiative between the Italian Cooperation and the Ministry of Environment (MoE) with a budget of EUR 1 million. The project provides the installation of over 900 solar water heating systems to more than 66 locations of public utility. Several training sessions are provided to Lebanese energy experts to improve and upgrade their knowledge on the renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The project is also accompanied by an awareness campaign.
Adaptation to a Changing Climate in the Arab Countries (2011)
This initiative culminated in a World Bank report that provides a comprehensive assessment of the threat to the region posed by increasingly severe weather, and offers a set of policy options for the urgent task of managing current effects and building resilience against those yet to come.
National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (NEEREA) (2010)
The National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (NEEREA) by the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) is setup to support the financing of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Lebanon, through Lebanese commercial banks. The EUR 11.9 million funding of the NEEREA initiative is provided by the European Union (EU) as a grant to Banque Du Liban (BDL) to subsidize interest rates and increase the repayment period of the loan given to projects. The targeted segment for the NEEREA facilities are Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Lebanon.
Policy Paper for the Electricity Sector (2010)
The policy paper was developed by the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) in June 2010. It establishes the framework for the electricity sector in Lebanon, which includes 10 initiatives to cover the sector's infrastructure, supply, demand and legal aspects. The policy paper illustrates the plan of actions and includes their respective budgets, financing schemes and timetable. The goals set forth in the policy paper will require a period of three to four years to conclude. It also endorses the 12% renewable energy in the electricity mix target of 2020.
The National Economic, Environment and Development Studies (NEEDS) (2010)
The National Economic, Environment and Development Studies (NEEDS) was launched to provide information on the assessment of financing needs of non-Annex I Parties to implement mitigation and adaptation measures. The main objectives of the NEEDS project are to support the participating countries in: (1) Selecting key sectors for climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, on the basis of priorities identified in the national communications and in national development plans; (2) Assessing the financing required and received to implement mitigation and adaptation measures in the key sectors selected and identifying appropriate financial and regulatory instruments to support these measures; and (3) Raising awareness and facilitating informed consensus among government agencies on the policy actions required to mobilize finance and investment in mitigation and adaptation measures. Lebanon’s report was prepared by the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010. The preliminary results of the NEEDS were presented during a high segment side-event at the 15
th Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Copenhagen in 2009.
Copenhagen Declaration – Lebanon’s Voluntary 12% renewable energy target by 2020 (2009)
During the 15
th Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the government of Lebanon announced its willingness to voluntarily introduce 12% renewable energy in its electricity mix by the year 2020, therefore launching national activities aiming to reach the aforementioned target.
Safeguarding and Restoring Lebanon’s Woodland Resources (2009)
The long-term goal of this Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project is to complement the on-the ground investments undertaken by the National Reforestation Programme through the creation of an enabling environment and by building capacity for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) as a contribution to greater ecosystem stability, enhanced food security and improved rural livelihoods. The rationale is to remove the institutional, economic and technical barriers for SLM in this sector in order to enable the National Reforestation Plan to meet its targets and up-scale forestry models and approaches over the next 20 years. The immediate objective is to develop a strategy for safeguarding and restoring Lebanon’s woodland resources and assist its implementation through capacity building and execution of appropriate SLM policies and practices.
Environmental Fund for Lebanon (EFL) (2007)
The Environmental Fund for Lebanon was launched in 2007 with the support of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), upon the request of the Lebanese Government. EFL aims at reducing environmental risks and economic impacts of the 2006 war in Lebanon and of underserved areas in Lebanon. The EFL has executed a series of projects aiming at mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and others are increasing resiliency to climate change.
Country Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Demonstration Project for the Recovery of Lebanon (CEDRO) (2007)
The Country Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Demonstration Project for the Recovery of Lebanon (CEDRO) was established in 2007 in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW), the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR). CEDRO is managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the aim to complement Lebanon's national power sector reform strategy as well as the greening of Lebanon's recovery, reconstruction and reform activities. CEDRO is funded through the Lebanese Recovery Fund provided in the form of grant by the Spanish government. CEDRO has realized a number of projects and studies (National Wind Atlas, National Bioenergy potential etc.) that are in line with its mandate to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy demonstration projects.
Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC (2007)
The Second National Communication (SNC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) presents information on the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released from each sector and outlines the mitigation and adaption plans required to prepare Lebanon cope with the impacts of climate change. The Lebanese government's position on combating climate change is that it should be one of a collaborative approach irrespective of the country's emission levels; it is for this reason, Lebanon voluntarily committed to increase its renewable energy mix to 12% by 2020 in the Conference of the Parties (CoP) held in Copenhagen in 2009.
The SNC was a collaborative work among government institutions, the private sector, non-government organizations (NGOs), academic bodies and led by the Ministry of Environment (MoE), which is the national focal point to the UNFCCC.
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (2006)
Lebanon acceded to the Kyoto Protocol by Virtue of Law 738 on the 15
th of May 2006. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers granted approval to the Ministry of Environment (MoE) to establish the Designated National Authority (DNA) of Lebanon, pursuant to which a committee was established at the MoE on the 15
th of June 2006.
A total of 13 projects were submitted to the DNA, constituting the national CDM portfolio. Two of the thirteen projects were developed as Programmatic CDM. Eight out of the thirteen projects reached Project Development Design level and were submitted to the CDM-Executive Board. As of November 2013, seven projects have been registered (solar thermal plant, Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) replacement, and grid connected renewable energy).
During the period of 2007 till 2010, several seminars and workshops were funded and held by and in collaboration with the Lebanese and international governments and non-government organizations (NGOs) to engage the Lebanese private and public sectors in benefiting from CDM.
Technology Needs Assessment and Technology Transfer (TNA) (2003)
A report was published in 2003 that identified and assessed appropriate mitigation technologies for the Lebanese context. A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory training manual was developed as one of the outputs of the project.
Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) (2002)
Was established in 2002 in partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). LCEC was initially managed by the UNDP with the aim to address the end-use of energy conservation and renewable energy at the national level; LCEC gradually became an independent national center, but continues to be supported by the UNDP.
Initial National Communication (INC) (1999)
Assesses the national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and evaluates Lebanon's national GHG mitigation strategy to reduce emissions produced from the country's energy, industrial, construction, transport, waste and forestry sectors. The communication also evaluates Lebanon's exposure and impact of climate change on its ecosystem, which includes the country's water and agricultural resources, wildlife, natural habitats and socioeconomic aspect.
The Initial National Communication (INC) was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment (MoE); the communication was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in 1999.