Involved from the early stages of the discussions about energy efficiency between France and Russia, ADEME will take part in various operations under the “France-Russia Year 2010” programme, and in the inter-ministerial agreement under way between the French Ministry of Sustainable Development and the Russian Ministry of Energy.

	Anne-Marie Idrac, the French Minister for Foreign Trade, attended the Franco-Russian round table on energy efficiency held at the Economic Mission of the French Embassy in Moscow in April 2009.

As France’s representative in the discussions on energy between the European Union and Russia, ADEME has in particular focused its attention on increasing awareness among Russian decision makers about energy efficiency issues and the introduction of appropriate public policy tools. At the bilateral level, ADEME is a member of the Franco-Russian Economic, Financial, Industrial and Commercial Council’s Energy Roundtable, “The work by this group, steered by France’s Department of Energy and Climate, led to the signature in September 2008 of an inter-ministerial agreement on energy efficiency between Minenergo (the Russian Ministry of Energy) and the French Ministry of Sustainable Development”, explains Thierry Méraud, in charge of Eastern Europe at ADEME’s International Action Department. “This agreement is being implemented within the pro-energy efficiency context prevalent in Russia today, as notably evidenced by the passing of a law in November included in the Federal Programme for the Modernisation of the Economy that sets the ambitious target of a 40% reduction in the national consumption of energy by 2020 and the creation of the Russian Energy Agency last December”, adds Thierry Méraud.

Two essential projects
The priority actions under this agreement are in particular the creation of a Franco-Russian business club in the area of energy efficiency, and institutional support for the Russian Energy Agency. “ADEME, alongside the French Ministry for Sustainable Development, leads the joint committee that oversees the agreement; its next meeting is scheduled for May 2010, just before the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum at which France will be the guest of honour”, continued Thierry Méraud. These regular meetings have helped progress the creation of the business club that includes manufacturers, institutions and regions. In February 2010, a group of eleven French companies set up a non-profit organisation. A preliminary pilot project, backed by ADEME, to make the WWF-Russia headquarters an exemplary High Environmental Quality building has also been initiated. Discussions are ongoing with the Russian Energy Agency to identify the first partnerships in the areas of thermal legislation and regulations, economic and financial instruments (incentives and penalties, etc.), and tools developed by ADEME, such as the Bilan Carbone^®, Regional Energy Climate plans, and energy efficiency indicators.