Green investment and finance

Description

Governments require assistance in assessing the investment needs of specific green sectors and interventions. The EU4Environment programme helps partner countries identify green investment needs and opportunities, as well as sources of public and private funding.

EU4Environment has launched a new project on green bonds. Green bonds can be used to raise additional resources for the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy becoming an important source of finance for green investments. Green and climate-aligned bonds are similar to regular bonds but their proceeds are explicitly earmarked for green investments: clean / renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency, reduction in air, water and soil pollution, recycling and waste management, and clean transport.

Launched under EaP GREEN, EU4Environment will continue supporting energy subsidy reform. The work focuses on the update of the “Inventory of energy subsidies in the EaP countries” and the inclusion of the these countries in the OECD/IEA database on Fossil-Fuel Government Support; further analysis of reforming selected major fossil-fuel subsidy schemes in selected countries and the environmental, fiscal and social impacts of such reforms; design of a tax expenditure reporting methodology which will help increase transparency of “hidden” energy subsidies.

EU4Environment works on greening public expenditure as well. It assists countries in utilising efficiently public resources to reach national environmental and climate-related objectives to increase the overall well-being of its citizens. The support focuses on increasing capacities of public authorities in designing and costing green public expenditure programmes within national medium-term expenditure frameworks (MTEFs). Such programmes are designed to compete for public support and leverage the funds to embark upon a greener and sustainable development path.

Public expenditures form essential parts in efforts to create a level playing field for environmental objectives. Within the context, EU4Environment supports the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova in reviewing and streamlining the current operation of the National Ecological Fund and helps strengthen its management.

The work is implemented by UNEP and the OECD.