This project will catalyze the penetration of private sector, grid-based renewable energy projects into the National Power Company's (PLN) network within the framework of a least-cost electrification strategy. An identified pipeline of about 75 MW of small renewable projects, primarily biomass, sugar and palm oil mills, and some mini-hydro, will be targeted by the project. Technical assistance will be provided to private project developers, as well as to the Directorate General of Electricity and Energy Development (DGEED) to collect and disseminate renewable energy resource information.

This project consists of three components: (i) National Strategic Overview (formulation of a national biodiversity strategy, establishment of a biodiversity database/information system, and preparation of guidelines on economic evaluation of biodiversity investments and policies); (ii) Nature Protection (institutional support, training, immediate assistance to critical PAs, and model ecotourism projects); and (iii) Integrated Regional Development/Natural Resource Management in the Lake Baikal Region.

This pilot program is designed to stimulate greater involvement of private, small and medium scale enterprises (SME) in GEF-eligible activities. It on-lends GEF grant funds to carefully screened financial intermediaries at long-term low interest rates. The intermediaries commit to use the funds to finance GEF-eligible small and medium scale enterprise projects, via either debt or equity investments. The Program allows the intermediaries to fund long-term loans or equity investments in relatively high-risk, experimental SME projects.

In conjunction with the IBRD-supported Native Forests and Protected Areas Project, the project will expand the protected area system through the creation and management of protected areas in currently unprotected ecosystems of global biological significance (eg, Pampas grass lands, Andean Puna, the Chaco, Patagonian Steppe, etc.).

Sixty-five percent of Bulgaria's 1993, annual, weighted ozone-depleting substance consumption will be phased out (468 metric tons ODP) through sub-projects in the refrigeration, foam-blowing and solvents sectors. A recycling and servicing component will phase out further ozone-depleting substances already in use in refrigerator, and a third component will strengthen the national Phase-out Task Force.

Over half of Hungary's 1993, annual, weighted ozone-depleting substance consumption will be phased out (approx. 1150 metric tons ODP) through 13 subprojects in the solvents, foam, aerosol, halon and refrigeration sectors, and through a recovery, recycling and reclamation component.

Project will design and implement a medicinal plants conservation program. For five botanical reserves where medicinal plants are collected from the wild, it will support baseline research, monitoring, conservation planning, community organizing, enrichment plantings, research on traditional medicinal plant knowledge, sustainable economic activities relating to medicinal plants or taking pressures off wild resources, improved marketing of such plants, and education.

Through the IFC, direct subsidies have been competitively awarded to domestic manufacturers of qualified compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs). Manufacturers and wholesalers will be required to pass on full savings on to retailers, who will apply a standard percentage-based mark-up, passing savings on to consumers. This has sparked demand for CFLs in Poland, demonstrating the financial and commercial benefits of energy-efficient lighting and resulting in large power savings and reduced emissions from coal-fired generation plants.

This project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by adapting high efficiency foreign technologies to local conditions for small and medium-sized, coal-fired industrial boilers. To assist the dissemination and effective use of efficient technologies, the project will also strengthen China's industrial-boiler engineering, operations, production management and marketing capabilities, and improve boiler technology exchange domestically.

The project will support the establishment, pilot testing and commercial demon-stration of market-oriented Energy Management Companies (EMCs) that will promote investments in energy-efficient technology through energy performance contracting. The project will start in three provinces, and after a pilot phase will be expanded to other parts of the country, and may involve more varied applications such as leasing or Chinese-foreign joint ventures.