The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in collaboration with the ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim) will organise a two-day Regional Workshop on Financing and Investments in Mitigation Actions in West Africa, in Accra from June 4 to June 5, 2012.

The workshop will be held against the background and experience gained with Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) finance and renewable energy projects' successes and failures in West Africa and elsewhere.

It will examine how policies, technologies, financing and capacity related bottlenecks to the development of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMAs) in West African countries can be addressed to increase access to cleaner and modern energy as an engine for growth and improve the competitiveness of African economies.

A statement issued by ECREEE Secretariat and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, said the meeting would bring together high-level decision makers and experts to provide visible leadership and political commitment to a common strategy for successfully shaping vibrant NAMA activities in the region, to scale up renewable energy and energy efficiency with the view not only to increasing access to energy services but also to ensure the sustainability of the sector and economies at large.

More than 80 high-level experts, government officials and representatives of leading regional and international organisations involved in climate change issues and financing are expected to participate in the workshop.

The ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim) is a programme of the ACP Secretariat financed by the European Union, under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).

It aims at fostering a business-enabling environment in ACP countries and regions by improving legislation, institutional frameworks and financial measures relating to the enabling environment of the private sector.

The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency was established by the Ouagadougou Declaration in November 2007, to provide a regional response to the specific needs of ECOWAS Member States as expressed in national and regional policies.

The overall objective of ECREEE is to contribute to the sustainable economic, social and environmental development of West Africa by improving access to modern reliable and affordable energy services, energy security and reduction of energy related GHG emissions and climate change impacts on the energy system.

The specific objective of ECREEE is to create favourable framework conditions and an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency markets by supporting activities directed to mitigate existing barriers.**