Open AccessChallenges in the Energy Sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: An Evaluation of 18 Years of Swiss Economic Cooperation
Author(s) -
Guy Bonvin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international development policy/revue internationale de politique de développement
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1663-9383
pISSN - 1663-9375
DOI - 10.4000/poldev.757
Subject(s) - sustainability , transparency (behavior) , corporate governance , business , energy sector , politics , relevance (law) , renewable energy , economics , economic growth , finance , political science , environmental economics , engineering , ecology , electrical engineering , law , biology
Published by Palgrave MacmillanSwitzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has been working in the energy sectors of Eastern Europe and Central Asia since 1992, financing 41 projects to the value of CHF 316 million. In 2009 an independent evaluation was commissioned to assess the effects of these projects in the region and to draw lessons for future project funding. The evaluation found the projects to be highly satisfactory in terms of relevance, satisfactory in terms of effectiveness and sustainability, and — because of external factors relating to governance, transparency and political stability in a country — generally unsatisfactory in terms of efficiency.Lessons drawn from the successful projects will be used to further improve them in the future. With limited financial resources governments are attempting to find a balance between energy security and environmental sustainability. SECO will support this mission by helping to reduce inefficient consumption, to increase the share of renewable energy, to strengthen the sustainability of utility companies and to develop effective energy policies