Public Disclosure Authorized opportunities at world events

GEF INVESTMENT EXPERIENCES

greening opportunities at world events

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Foreword

1greening opportunities at world events . geF investMent eXperienCes

Monique Barbut CEO and Chairperson Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a unique partnership among 181 countries, international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. As the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), we address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives.

We began in 1991 and have evolved into the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. Over our history, the GEF has provided $9 billion in grants and leveraged $40 billion in co-financing for more than 2,600 projects in more than 165 countries. As part of our mission to act locally for worldwide impact, we also have become one of the largest public sector technology transfer mechanisms in the world.

Much of our work has been devoted to supporting the deployment and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies that address climate change mitigation and adaptation. Since the early 1990s, GEF activities on climate change have centered on removing barriers to the widespread adoption of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transport technologies and practices. The GEF has allocated $2.7 billion and leveraged an estimated $17 billion in co-financing to support more than 45 climate-friendly technologies in over 150 developing countries. The GEF has played a catalytic role in supporting the transfer of technologies that are both climate-friendly and country-driven in order to meet a wide variety of development priorities.

World events hosted by developing countries and transition economies—like the World Expo 2010, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2008 Summer and 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 2010 Commonwealth Games—present a unique opportunity to showcase environmentally sound technologies and practices. Building infrastructure to support an influx of millions of people in an environmentally sound way encourages host cities to continue using new technologies and practices to reduce emissions and use energy more efficiently after the event is over. And demonstrating the use of these technologies and practices in front of a global audience promotes adoption by other cities and countries across the world.

The GEF has invested more than US$26 million and leveraged more than US$376 million to develop, demonstrate, and implement environmentally sound technologies and initiatives at world events. All of my colleagues at the GEF and our partner institutions agree that this work is vitally important to the sustainable development of developing countries and transition economies. It is our hope that the following pages will help readers gain a better understanding of our efforts in this area, and will inspire new enthusiasm, new invention, and many more successes.

2 the global environMent FaCility

World Events: A Unique Opportunity


World Events: Large-scale international exhibitions and sporting events convene diverse groups of people from across the globe in one place to witness technological innovation, experience other cultures, and cheer on the world’s best athletes. Host cities spend years planning and preparing for such events, building venues and accommodations, ensuring adequate transportation, and expanding water and power systems. By encouraging tourism and investment in infrastructure, these events can significantly stimulate the host nation’s economy and provide opportunities to create environmentally positive infrastructure that remains long after the events have concluded.

Developing countries and transition economies are taking steps to address the challenges of hosting world events in a sustainable way. Between now and 2030, these nations are expected to produce 80 percent of the world’s economic growth, 76 percent of global energy-demand growth, and 64 percent of the world’s energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions growth (IEA 2008). The preparation and execution of world events can produce significant emissions in addition to these projected levels.

Including low-emission transportation, renewable energy technology, and greening initiatives in the planning and execution of world events can substan-tially reduce emissions and other potentially negative environmental impacts. Demonstrations at world events also help host countries familiarize themselves with the real-world benefits and logistics of using environmentally sound technologies and practices, promoting feasibility to a large, captive audience. These events can effectively serve as a launching point for facilitating transfer and adoption in other parts of the country.

The GEF provides financial support to projects that help developing nations and transition economies address the infrastructure needs of world events, as well as the developing countries and transition economies hosting them, in a sustainable way.


The GEF’s Role


The GEF’s RoleWith the goal of addressing climate change head on, the GEF has been at the forefront of financing the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries and transition economies for almost 20 years. World events provide the unique opportunity to demonstrate projects focusing on this goal to a national and even global audience, increasing the project’s chance for success.

Developing countries and transition economies have the potential to substan-tially increase the world’s carbon footprint, but also to significantly reduce this potential as they grow. As an operating entity of the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism, the GEF leverages funding from donor nations to support projects in these nations related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. These projects benefit the global environment, linking local, national, and global environmental challenges and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

The GEF receives funding from donor nations every four years through a process called GEF Replenishment. The GEF leverages this funding by investing in projects that include mature, internationally available, and profitable technologies that have not been adopted previously due to human, institutional, technological, policy, or financial barriers.

The GEF provides support via agencies such as the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the form of investment grants, partial loan guarantees, and special-purpose funds such as loan loss reserve funds, revolving funds, and equity funds. The GEF’s support has been praised for combining investment funding with technical assistance and for developing and introducing new financial mechanisms and pilot projects, which often have overcome high transaction costs and initial risks (Taylor et al. 2008).

To date, the GEF has invested more than US$26 million and leveraged more than US$376 million in co-financing from partner agencies, national and local governments, NGOs, and the private sector—an investment ratio of US$1 to US$14—to develop, demonstrate, and implement environmentally sound technologies and initiatives involving world events in developing countries and transition economies. Ultimately, these efforts will have a lasting impact on the host countries’ abilities to implement low-emission technologies and practices into their infrastructures and the everyday lives of their citizens.


The following pages provide a

closer look at GEF-supported

projects that demonstrate and

promote environmentally sound

technologies and practices at

world events.

Figure 1: Profile of Gef-SuPPorted ProjectS at World eventS

World Events



To help encourage the use of lower-emission public transportation, the GEF leveraged funding for a project that demonstrated electric buses powered solely by lithi-um-ion (Li-ion) batteries at the Beijing Olympics. These buses use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery to power an electric motor and motor controller, rather than a gaso-line or diesel engine, resulting in minimal emissions.

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau demonstrated the feasibility of using 50 of these buses at the Olympics (4 directly financed by the GEF) and con-ducted an outreach program to encourage the accelera-tion of the development and deployment of clean vehicle technologies throughout China. The out-reach program also aimed to raise the awareness of ath-letes, the media, and the general public about global environmental issues and how individuals can help reduce their negative impact on the environment.

Today, Beijing continues to use lithium-ion buses to transport passengers. China has also launched a “10 city, 1,000 buses” initiative to encourage the adoption and development of alternative fuel buses across the country. This initiative calls for more than 10 of China’s large cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Zhuzhou, to put 1,000 alternative fuel

vehicles on the streets within the next three to four years (Rutkowski 2009). In doing so, these cities will contribute toward the national goal of having 10 percent of China’s domestic vehicles using alternative fuel by 2012 (Rutkowski 2009). In this regard, the demonstration of FCB began in Beijing by the procurement and operation of 6 FCB, 3 financed by the GEF and 3 cofinanced by partners. This pilot was then extended for the Shanghai World EXPO 2010.

Implementing AgencyUNDP

GEF FundingUS$6,815,000

Leveraged FundingUS$22,415,000

Emissions Avoided (expected)765 t CO2

Potential BenefitsAccelerates development and deployment of clean vehicle technologies in ChinaImproves air quality overall

2008 Summer olymPicS – BeijinG, china

electric & fuel cell BuSeS

China’s economic growth has sparked an increase in automotive fleets. Vehicle sales in China grew from 2.4 million in 2001 to 5.6 million in 2005 and 7.2 million in 2006 (IPCC 2007). Globally, the transport sector’s emissions are growing rapidly, and reached 6.4 Gt CO2 emissions in 2006—23 percent of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions (IEA 2008).


In China, rapid economic growth has been accompanied by accelerated urbanization. The average

annual rate of population growth in urban areas during the 1990s (2.9 percent per year) was over seven times the rate in rural areas; today, slightly more than 30 percent of Chinese residents live in cities. This rapid urbanization has increased demand for public transport services—the demand for buses in China is expected to grow at an aver-age rate of 5 percent per year between 2000 and 2030, to 108,000 buses in 2030. This growth has the potential to increase emissions, as lower-emission alternatives are cost-prohibitive to cities in China’s transitioning economy.

The GEF leveraged funding for a project to catalyze the cost reduction and encourage the adoption of energy-efficient fuel cell buses for public transit in Chinese cities. This pilot project, which began with a demonstration at the Olympics in Beijing, is entering its second demonstration phase at the World Expo in Shanghai.

As a part of this phase of the project, six hydrogen- powered fuel cell buses are serving the fleet of

zero-emission buses shuttling visitors along the main bus route at the Expo. These green, hi-tech, and energy-efficient vehicles serve as vivid examples of how cities can become greener, better cities that provide better lives for their citizens. This demonstration and other sustainable transport solutions are also being showcased in a GEF exhibit at the Expo called “The Green Line,” which displays information on the GEF’s work in climate change. The fuel cell bus demonstration project will be multiplied in additional Chinese cities in an effort to mainstream sustainable transport.


GEF Funding US$5,767,000

Leveraged Funding US$12,585,000

Emissions Avoided (estimated) 245 t CO2 based on 6 fuel cell buses

Potential Co-BenefitsStimulates technology transfer of fuel cell buses across China

Avoids 9.3 Mt CO2 per year if 30 percent of Chinese buses in 2030 are converted to fuel cell buses

World exPo 2010 – ShanGhai, china

fuel cell BuSeS & exhiBit

Since 1851, the World Exposition, or World’s Fair, has brought together countries from around the globe to showcase cultural experience and demonstrate technological innovation. Shanghai is serving as the first developing country to host a registered World Exposition by hosting Expo 2010 with the theme “Better City, Better Life.” During the 184 days of the Expo, 70 million visitors from 192 countries are expected to visit the many exhibition pavilions and events that explore the full potential of urban life in the 21st century.


In South Africa, the deteriorating condition of public transportation systems has created a powerful momentum for private car use by the middle- and higher-income classes. This results in low-income classes being subjected to unreliable, unsafe public transportation while middle- and higher-income classes increase their use of private vehicles and high-carbon fuels, resulting in rapidly increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector in South Africa.

Recognizing these issues and the fundamental role of a smoothly functioning transportation system for the 2010 World Cup, the GEF leveraged funding to help improve and promote environmentally sound public transport in South Africa. This project, implemented by the South African Department of Transport, includes support for

improvements in urban transport service and systems, improvements in coordinated and integrated transport planning, and strengthen technical capacity within the South African transport sector.

The project aims to use the 2010 FIFA World Cup planning window as a catalyst for change to achieve fundamental, appropriate improvements to the South African public transport and land-use planning system. Expected results include implemented transport system improvements in seven venue cities—Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mbombela, Polokwane, Mangaung, Rustenburg, and Cape Town—and strengthened capacity and increased knowledge to plan, manage, and implement sustainable transportation options.




Emissions Avoided (estimated) 423 kt CO2 over a 10-year period

Potential BenefitsIf replicated in other South African metroplitan areas, reduces 2 Mt CO2e emissions indirectly over a 10-year period

Improves energy-efficient public transport for South African citizens of all economic backgrounds

2010 fifa World cuP – South africa

SuStainaBle PuBlic tranSPortation

Occurring every four years since 1930, the World Cup brings 32 teams from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and fans from around the world to one host nation for a month-long tournament. South Africa is hosting the 2010 World Cup and is anticipating 3 million fans to attend matches at venues in nine different cities.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup has the largest estimated carbon foot-print of any major event that has a goal to be climate neutral—an estimated 0.9 Mt CO2, with an additional 1.9 Mt CO2 and 0.34 Mt CO2 emitted by international travel and accommodation, respectively (Norad 2009). The estimated 0.9 Mt CO2 is more than eight times the estimated footprint of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, due in large part to the greater distances between matches and the lack of high-speed light rails to transport spec-tators from venue to venue (Norad 2009). These issues result in greater reliance on planes, passenger cars, or small buses, which produce higher levels of emissions.


In collaboration with the Government of South Africa, the United Nations Environment Programme the 2010

FIFA Local Organizing Committee (LOC), the GEF leveraged funding to assist in the

promotion of the significance of using energy-efficient and low carbon emission

technologies and practices to the World Cup audience, in order to address global

actions at the local level. This effort is also a part of the host cities’ commitment to achieving greening objectives—with the intention to support initiatives at the World Cup with a focus more specifically on, waste minimization, carbon emissions reduction, energy efficiency, and water conservation.

The GEF-supported project involves a number of awareness-raising activi-

ties which will be show-cased during June-July 2010. These include demonstrations of

both solar-powered lights near stadia and other energy-efficient technologies. Visitors will also be encouraged to adopt Green Passport objectives, which encourage travelers to make environmentally responsible decisions in order to reduce their ecological footprints. In addition, this project supports an assessment of best practices and carbon crediting options to help green large sporting events in the future.

These efforts will inform decision-makers, the general public, and international tourists about the ways in which they can reduce their environmental footprint. As a direct impact, the GEF project aims to use technology demonstrations to reduce energy consumption near World Cup stadia and to encourage spectators in six host cities to adopt Green Passport objectives. Surveys will be conducted by environmental volunteers in order to determine extent of awareness raising and behavior changes. Overall, the project intends to support an increase in the awareness of environmentally sound technologies and practices across South Africa.

Implementing AgencyUNEP



Potential BenefitsReduces energy consumption near stadiums by 15 percent

Encourages 30 percent of spec-tators in six host cities to adopt Green Passport objectives

Increases use of energy-efficient and other environmentally sound technologies across South Africa

2010 fifa World cuP – South africa

national GreeninG ProGram


India currently emits around 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 per year—a figure expected to increase by an average 2.1 percent per year through 2030 (Boden, Marland, and Andres 2009; EIA 2009). With a population growing to new heights—over 1.4 billion people to date—encouraging public adoption of affordable, lower-emission technologies and practices has proven difficult.

To help reduce India’s potential emissions, the GEF leveraged funding for the campaign to help encourage

citizens, athletes, and visitors to adopt environmentally sound technologies and practices. This low-carbon campaign, developed by the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee, the Government of NCT Delhi, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Government of India, will be launched at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

One of the projects supported by the campaign is a planting program, in which residents will receive support to plant in their communities. Overall, the campaign aims to promote low-carbon practices to the residents, athletes, visitors, and media who will attend the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Using the venue as a way to reach a large audience, organizers expect that 10 planting programs will be replicated across India and that five cities will implement low-carbon activities and programs. It is also anticipated that Commonwealth Game par-ticipants, Delhi residents, and visitors will begin to take steps to reduce their personal carbon footprints as a direct result of this outreach.


GEF FundingUS$950,000


Emissions Avoided (estimated)15,000 kt CO2 (planting project)

Potential BenefitsIncreases the use of low-carbon practices through citizen educa-tion and empowerment

2010 commonWealth GameS – delhi, india

loW-carBon camPaiGn

Starting in October and running for two weeks, the 2010 Commonwealth Games will be held in Delhi. Several million people are expected to attend the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in India, with even more observing through other media sources. Organizers of the games are committed to hosting a sustainable event, which included taking the environment into consideration when constructing and renovating venues. Building the environmentally sound Thyagaraj Stadium is one of the many reasons that the Delhi games has been recognized as the first-ever “Green Commonwealth Games.”


Since 1992, total CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use in Russia have dropped 24.6 percent to 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2000 and up to 1.78 in 2007, but it is still the third-largest emitting country in the world (Boden, Marland, and Andres 2009). Emissions from gas consump-tion represent the largest fraction of Russia’s emissions (42 percent) followed by oil (39 percent) and then coal consumption emissions make up 11 percent (Boden, Marland, and Andres 2009) .

The new construction and infrastructure improvements taking place in Sochi in preparation for the Olympics present a substantial opportunity for Russia to reduce its emissions output. With support from the GEF, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation will produce a Greening Strategy and Action

Plan for the 2014 Olympics. The plan will factor in climate change initiatives early in the planning process to help set up a

carbon-neutral event and unleash the potential for green-house gas emissions reduction during the games.

The project will include the development of greening recommendations and action plans for six sectors: green building standards, energy efficiency and power planning, renewable energy technologies, low-carbon transport, carbon offsets, and public awareness and

advocacy. The action plans will be implemented during the planning phase and during the event to help ensure a carbon-neutral 2014 Winter Olympics and encourage

the future transfer of this technology to other cities throughout Russia.


GEF FundingUS$955,000


Potential BenefitsCreates a carbon-neutral Olympic Games

Winter olymPicS – Sochi, ruSSia

GreeninG StrateGy & action Plan

An estimated 1.2 million people will attend the Sochi XXII Winter Olympics in February 2014 to watch the world’s best winter athletes compete for gold. To prepare for the Olympics, Sochi is constructing 11 athletic venues divided into two clusters along the coastline and in the mountains. The city is also building a new railway to travel the 48 km between the venue clusters and is planning to add other methods of transportation, new power infrastructure, and accommodations.


Looking Ahead


As the GEF enters its fifth funding replenishment phase, the opportunities to encourage the adoption of environmentally sound technologies and practices in developing countries and transition economies have never been greater. World events serve as opportunities to showcase and raise awareness about these advances. But the true greenhouse gas emission mitigation potential lies in a country’s ability to incorporate these technologies into its infrastructures in the long term.

An important component to ensuring successful adoption is careful upstream planning. The transportation project that is taking place at the 2010 World Cup was approved several years ahead of the event, leaving ample time to effectively green the event in a sustainable way that will positively impact cities and citizens in South Africa. The project in place for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi will also provide the country with time to cure the investment plan and green the city’s infrastructure in a lasting way.

The GEF has learned that by establishing projects like these well in advance and taking the time to plan, world events can act as a successful jumping-off point for technology adoption and transfer, putting in place the technologies and practices that can have a substantial, positive impact on climate change and the economies of developing nations.

To date, the GEF has allocated more than US$26 million and leveraged more than US$376 million to develop, demonstrate, and implement environmentally sound technologies and initiatives for world events in developing countries. This massive leverage of funding provides the resources needed to incorporate advanced technologies during infrastructure building, effectively achieving more than any one organization could achieve alone.

Through its experience in funding world events, the GEF has learned how to and will continue to use these international gatherings to make lasting positive changes in developing countries and transition economies—not only in physical infrastructure, but in the millions of minds who have the power to reduce the human contribution to climate change.


CO2 carbon dioxide

CO2e carbon dioxide equivalent

GEF global environment Facility

IEA international energy agency

IFC international Finance Corporation

FIFA Fédération internationale de Football association

LOC local organizing Committee

Mt megatonne or mega metric ton

MoU Memorandum of understanding

NGO non-governmental organization

t tonne or metric ton

UNFCCC united nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNDP united nations development programme

UNEP united nations environment programme

Boden, T.A., G. Marland, and R.J. Andres. 2009. “Global, Regional, and National Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions.” Oak Ridge: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy. http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/emis/tre_ind.html; http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/emis/tre_rus.html.

EIA (Energy Information Administration). 2009. “Chapter 8: Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions.” International Energy Outlook 2009. Washington, D.C.: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/emissions.html.

IEA (International Energy Agency). 2008. World Energy Outlook 2008. Paris: IEA.

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2007. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Working Group II Report “Mitigation of Climate Change.”

Norad (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Norwegian Government). 2009. Feasibility Study for a Carbon Neutral 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Stockholm: Norad. http://www.norway.org.za/NR/rdonlyres/3E6BB1B1FD2743E58F5B0BEFBAE7D958/114457/FeasibilityStudyforaCarbonNeutral 2010FIFAWorldCup.pdf.

Rutkowski, Ryan. 2009. “China Electrifies Urban Transport.” Asia Times Online. November 4, 2009. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/KK04Cb01.html.

Taylor, R.P., C. Govindarajalu, J. Levin, A.S. Meyer, and W. A. Ward. 2008. Financing Energy Efficiency: Lessons from Brazil, China, India, and Beyond. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

aBBreviationS and acronymS referenceS

The Global Environment Facility unites 181 member governments—in partnership with international institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector—to address global environmental issues. As an independent financial organization, the GEF provides grants to developing countries and countries with economies in transition for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. These projects benefit the global environment, linking local, national, and global environmental challenges and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Established in 1991, the GEF is currently the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. The GEF has allocated $8.8 billion, supplemented by more than $38.7 billion in cofinancing, for more than 2,400 projects in more than 165 developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Through its Small Grants Programme, the GEF has also made more than 10,000 small grants directly to nongovernmental and community organizations.

The GEF partnership includes 10 Agencies: the UN Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Industrial Development Organization, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel provides technical and scientific advice on the GEF’s policies and project

ABOUT THE GEF

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cover: stock.xchngPage 1: stock.xchngPage 2: stock.xchngPage 4: IstockphotoPage 6: Asadov Architectural StudioPage 6: ReutersPage 7: Rama Lakshmi—The Washington PostPage 7: www.shanghaidaily.comPage 7: The Beijing Organizing Committee

for the Games of the XXIX OlympiadPage 8: International Olympic CommitteePage 8: Ministry of Science and Technology, ChinaPage 9: Bureau of Shanghai World Expo CoordinationPage 9: World Expo 2010Page 10: 2010 FIFA World CupPage 11: stock.xchngPage 11: stock.xchngPage 12: 2010 Commonwealth GamesPage 12: stock.xchngPage 12: IstockphotoPage 13: International Olympic CommitteePage 13: Sochi 2014 Organizing CommitteePage 14: stock.xchng

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Public Disclosure Authorized opportunities at world events