ABSTRACT
In making decisions about energy supplies and sources, many resource managers lack the means to make environmentally sustainable choices that provide for their energy needs, while simultaneously protecting public health and the environment. The reliance on traditional forms of energy limits social and economic development, slows down poverty elimination, affects human health, and aggravates global deforestation. In many instances, locally available renewable energy is viable alternative for traditional fuels and rural electrification and helps the poor to meet their needs for important domestic energy services. Developing countries and countries with economies in transition are keen to access Global Environment Facility (GEF) resources to address technical, policy, and market barriers and to boost sustainable energy development for economic, environmental, security, and public health reasons. As a result, GEF investments in renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies in rural areas have had great impact, not only on climate change mitigation, but also on rural electrification, agriculture development, and poverty eradication.
