Energy efficiency in SMEs in Central America

The NDF Board approved in March a grant of EUR 2.2 million for the programme. The programme focuses on information dissemination and training targeted towards SMEs, energy auditors, financiers and authorities.

“The main objective of the programme is to scale up energy efficiency measures and investments in SMEs through awareness-raising, capacitybuilding and financial support,” says Mr Hannu Eerola, NDF’s Country Program Manager. “The climate benefit comes through reduced energy demand and reduced need for additional generation capacity, which predominantly would be based on fossil fuels.” PyME means SME in Spanish.

The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) launched the GreenPyme concept in late 2008. To date, the programme has been run as a pilot programme in a few Latin American and Caribbean countries. The results of the activities have been encouraging. NDF’s contribution makes possible the expansion of GreenPyme into Central America bringing practical benefits to thousands of SMEs in the region. IIC acts as the implementing agency of the programme. IIC is a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. IIC serves SMEs and smallerscale financial institutions through technical assistance and debt and equity products. NDF’s grant financing will be directed to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica.