Support to a Roadmap for Designing and Piloting an Energy Efficiency Certificate (EEC) Scheme

Within the framework of the World Bank Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) global partnership, Argentina developed a Market Readiness Proposal (MRP). The objective of the MRP was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing carbon pricing instruments (CPIs) in the country, outline Argentina’s roadmap thereof and market readiness components, as well as the timeline and budget required for implementation. The assignment of Econoler corresponded to Task 2 of the PMR Argentina Project components and was aimed at presenting the policy context and mitigation potential for energy efficiency in the country and a roadmap for designing and piloting an Energy Efficiency Certificate (EEC) scheme as a CPI.

The main objective of this technical assistance was to develop a study to inform the Bank’s dialogue with the Government and discuss potential ways and options to address an EEC scheme to promote the rational use of energy and national GHG mitigation actions.Econoler conducted the study by focusing on four strategic objectives:

• Draft a proposal for an EEC scheme;
• Propose an institutional set-up for implementing the scheme;
• Develop a roadmap for the implementation of the scheme;
• Strengthen the capacity of national policymakers.

To achieve these objectives, Econoler conducted the following activities:

• Assess key relevant international experience on EEC systems by identifying any relevant issues that have arisen during the design and implementation phase, providing a description and a comparison of key parameters, analyzing the impacts and results and, finally, preparing a capacity building workshop on international EEC experiences;
• Generate eight scenarios for the implementation of the EEC scheme in Argentina based on previous results from relevant international experiences;
• For the selected scenario, evaluate how it could interact with current sectorial policies and other CPIs, as well as map key relevant barriers to implementation and assess direct and indirect benefits;
• Develop the draft design frame as a potential Argentina’s EEC scheme that can be useful to dialogue with the government;
• Map relevant ministries and agencies and their respective capacities to start defining potential roles and responsibilities to fulfill key functions in the establishment and operation of the EEC scheme;
• Hold an event to present main project results and the conclusions of each deliverable, highlighting the steps taken to arrive at a final EEC scheme design and provide recommendations on next steps.

 Thanks to this project, the Argentinian government was then able to take an informed decision on launching an EEC scheme as part of its strategy to reduce the country’s energy consumption and GHG emissions.