The 8th meeting of the Project Board for the UNDP-GCF “De-risking and Scaling-up Investment in Energy-Efficient Building Retrofits” project was convened

On 8 July 2025, the 8th meeting of the Project Board for the UNDP-GCF “De-risking and Scaling-up Investment in Energy-Efficient Building Retrofits” project was convened in Yerevan.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Hakob Simidyan, Minister of Environment, and Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia. It brought together representatives of key government institutions and Project Board members to review progress and plan the next steps as the project enters its final year of implementation.

In his opening remarks, Minister Simidyan emphasized the strategic significance of the project:
“This project is of strategic importance for the Ministry. It is a results-oriented initiative that delivers not only environmental benefits but also socio-economic impact by promoting energy efficiency.

While we have achieved important results, we also face challenges-driven by objective factors. I trust that our commitment to addressing these issues and ensuring full implementation is clear to all our partners.”

The Minister extended his appreciation to UNDP and partner government institutions for their ongoing efforts and stressed the importance of reflecting on the challenges encountered to improve the design and effectiveness of future initiatives:

“As we enter the final phase of the project, the coming year will be critical. We must double our efforts to ensure that available resources are used in the most targeted and effective way possible,” he added.

Ms. Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, reaffirmed the organization’s strong partnership with the Government of Armenia in advancing the country’s environmental policy objectives. She noted:

“Addressing climate challenges requires strong, sustained partnerships. Through our close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, we are turning ambition into action—building a greener, more resilient future for Armenia.”
During the meeting, Ms. Rusudan Tushuri, Project International Manager, presented the project’s recent achievements, outlined the key challenges, and introduced the action plan for 2025–2026.