Funded by Heinrich Boell Foundation
PROMOTING RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN LEBANON THROUGH AWARENESS AND LOBBYING FOR LEGAL REFORM
Background and rationale
Conventional energy production and consumption have serious negative
impacts on the environment. The dependence on energy to maintain
life and the increased urbanization have led to the increase in
consumption of fossil fuels for the production of energy resulting
in the increased production of greenhouse gas emissions with it
adverse impacts on the climate. The adoption and promotion of
renewable energy technologies (RET) ensure sustainable global
benefits in terms of long-term reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from burning fossil fuels, thus reducing air pollution and
slowing the process of climate change.
In Lebanon, the energy policy adopted by the consecutive governments
is fully based on the use of fossil fuel namely Residual Fuel Oil
which is among the most polluting petroleum by-products.
The main barrier to the adoption of renewable energy technologies is
the lack of Political Will to do so and the lack of a strategic
planning approach focusing on the sustainability of development. At
the energy policy level, the Lebanese government totally follows the
Arab League’s positions which are heavily influenced by oil
producing countries, especially Saudi Arabia, which clearly has been
hindering renewable energy development.
The development of an appropriate renewable energy and energy
efficiency policy and legislation is a crucial step for any serious
take on renewable energy.
Another important barrier for the development of renewable energy is
the lack of awareness on the importance and potential of renewable
energy as well as the lack of accurate data and research on the
different aspects of the subject. For renewable energy investment to
take off, the feasibility of the different renewable energy
technologies needs to be properly assessed for every potential
source in the different regions of Lebanon.
Objectives and Planned Activities
As such and as a follow up to the work renewable energies project
initiated in 2006 and 2007, Green Line intended in 2008 to focus its
work on the awareness component and legal component leading to the
promotion of renewable energies.
The project’s objectives for 2008 are mainly to:
• Raise awareness on the negative effects of conventional energy
production and consumption and familiarize citizens with currently
available and easily accessible renewable energy technologies
through disseminating knowledge regarding their economic and
environmental benefits
• Working towards removing the legal barriers to the expanded and
sustainable use of renewable energy technologies
The planned activities for 2008 include:
• Raising awareness on alternative energy options through undergoing
a cost benefit analysis of SWH installed in 2007 in Southern
villages, organizing meetings with neighboring municipalities and
agencies responsible for the reconstruction of neighboring villages
to promote these technologies, developing and disseminating fact
sheets on the use and benefits of these systems when meeting with
villagers, farmers, parliamentarians and other stakeholders,
developing and broadcasting two TV clips/spots on the benefits of
RET and energy saving, and holding one public seminar to disseminate
information on RET as an alternative
• Promoting legal change through identifying legal barriers to the
implementation of RET and explore measures to overcome identified
barriers, holding awareness seminars for policy and decision makers
in the field of renewable energy focusing mainly on the legislative
component, and drafting proposals of renewable energy legislation.
Project Achievements to Date
During the first six months of 2008, the project team focused on the
following activities:
• Continuous follow up and monitoring of the installed solar water
heating systems (SWH) in South Lebanon
• Analyze the economic benefits of the renewable energy technologies
– Results coming soon
• Develop fact sheets on the use and benefits of SWH systems –
Fact Sheets to be uploaded soon
• Organize meetings with local municipalities in the South to
promote renewable energy technologies
Project Publications: