IIEC launched the Capacity Building Programme in 1997. This programme strengthened the capacity of NGOs to promote sustainable energy alternatives and provided the coordination and support for groups to be more focused and effective through planning strategies and working together.
The achievements of the programme include the following:
- Formation of an NGO information exchange program (of energy policy development updates and other relevant materials) among 34 NGOs across Ukraine.
- Creation of a parliamentary group that brought together a range of Rada deputies with strong interests in energy and the environment. The group focused on energy-related environmental policy, global climate change, and the development and coordination of mitigation strategies.
- Two successful NGO training seminars. The first in June 1998 entitled “Sustainable Energy for Ukraine” brought together 30 participants from across Ukraine to discuss sustainable energy alternatives, energy policymaking, and strategies for promoting sustainable energy at a national level. The second workshop entitled “Energy Conservation as a way to Meet Local Energy Needs: Main actors, Models, and Best Practices” brought together for the first time NGOs, local government, and business to develop sustainable energy policy and public/private partnerships to meet local energy needs.