Unlocking systemic solutions to scale energy efficiency and renewable energy in Armenia

This week in Yerevan, UNDP, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure (MoTAI), and UNECE convened a two-day Regional Advisory Services “Hard Talk”. The focus: overcoming institutional barriers to finance and massively scale up energy-efficient building retrofits.

The high-level policy dialogue opened with remarks from Narek Apitonyan, Deputy Minister of MoTAI; Oleg Dzyubinski, UNECE Energy Regional Adviser; and Rusudan Tushuri, International Project Manager of the UNDP-GCF project.
Setting a collaborative tone, Deputy Minister Apitonyan emphasized:

"Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is one of our priorities, and this sector has great potential for attracting private investment and creating new jobs. We value platforms where public institutions, the private sector, and development partners can jointly identify solutions through open and constructive dialogue."
The "Hard Talk" format enabled candid, solution-oriented exchanges aimed at moving beyond donor-driven approaches. Discussions targeted the practical mechanisms needed to attract private capital, including:

🔹 Innovative, market-based financing models
🔹 Financial de-risking instruments
🔹 Necessary policy and regulatory reforms

Through initiatives like the ongoing UNDP-GCF project, Armenia is actively advancing market transformation—combining policy support with robust partnerships to deliver sustainable impact at scale. Together, we are shaping a more energy-secure, resilient, and low-carbon future for Armenia and the wider region.