This publication considers policy options for supporting the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies (RE&EET), as well as the surrounding factors that can support – or indeed impede – the successful implementation of such support policies.

The paper gives particular consideration to the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region and the Early Transition Countries (ETC), while drawing on energy policy experiences globally.

Given their extensive natural resource bases and projected growth in energy demand, it is argued that the ETC and SEMED countries represent high priority energy regions. In spite of considerable variations in characteristics, it is argued that the countries in these regions possess great unexploited potential for both enhanced renewables deployment and for improvements in energy efficiency. It is also noted that, for the most part, these regions are not accessing international climate and clean energy financing to the same degree as some other countries with similar levels of development. The paper argues that well-designed government support for RE&EE may pave the way for increased access to such financing.

[Adapted from source]