KfW Energy Forum on energy efficiency in public buildings and facilities

Being responsible for 40 per cent of Germany’s total energy consumption and 30 per cent of total emissions, the construction sector is an essential pillar of energy policy and related reduction targets. In this context, public sector buildings play a major role. In addition to the high potential for energy-orientated refurbishment, energy efficiency projects in public sector buildings may set an example and thus promote the dissemination of such measures in the private sector. Municipalities’ budgets are often tight, however; as a result, funding programmes and financing mechanisms such as those offered by the German Federal Environment Ministry (BMU), the Ministry for Economy and Technology (BMWi) and the KfW have proven essential.

Against this backdrop, the KfW hosted an international forum on Investing in Energy Efficiency: Public Buildings and Facilities on 7 and 8 November 2013 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It built on the experiences and lessons learned of the KfW’s Financing Energy Efficiency in Buildings forum in February 2012. The focus was on financing energy efficiency, particularly addressing the regulatory framework for energy efficiency measures, German and international experiences in implementing these in public buildings and the role of performance contracting.

adelphi offered support to KfW in terms of content and logistical preparation, as well as in hosting and documenting the forum. This included program development, invitation management, organisation of the evening programme and site visits, and identifying and contacting appropriate speakers.