UNIDO conducts trainings in Lahore for top management & technology vendors

Lahore: UNIDO under its ongoing GEF funded project titled “Sustainable Energy Initiative for Industries in Pakistan” successfully conducted around of two back to back training sessions on Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) at Lahore, by an international expert. The first leg of training was held at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry for vendor and suppliers on market potential and business opportunities for EE and RE Technologies.The second training session was held at a local hotel, which was focused on the providing awareness to the top management of the industrial sector on technology and business retrospect and future opportunities. The trainingswas attended by more than hundred professionals including a good number ofwomen participants from various industrial sectors andtechnology solution providers, including top managers from industry , consultants and equipment suppliers for energy efficiency and renewable energy and also public and private sector organizations . The goal of these training was to build the capacity of top management on technologies, by highlighting the business cases that could enable the managers to take knowledge base decisions, as well as enabling vendors and technology manufacturers (VTMs) to understand Energy system optimization (ESO) opportunities and strategies that can be broadened into value-added services to offer an ESCO approach.
During the two day sessions on Vendors Training, trainer focused on orienting participants towards a valued services mindset and developing the enabling environment for VBF ESCO models, andparticipants were introduced with the basic concepts of the ESCO approach and the VBF model. Finally, participants weremade aware on the fundamentals of measurement and verification of savings and ways and means to market these services. During the top management awareness session, trainer introduced the concepts of Enterprise Energy Management as well as explained the strategic business drivers and barriers. The finance related issues were also touched upon such as on funding EE and RE projects through value chains, by giving presentations on case studies.
Mr. Khawaja Khawer Rasheed, Senior Vice Preside Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries, in his address at Vendors Training, congratulated UNIDO on the efforts in this project to promote sustainable energy in industrial sector. Mr. Ashfaq Ahmed, represented Small and Medium Enterprise Authority (SMEDA), and elaborated on the UNIDO and SMEDA combined efforts to foster RE and EE growth. He stressed upon the greater involvement of private sector, as well as upon incentivising the industry to have more and more energy survey at their premises.The Energy department of government of Punjab, was represented by Mr. Abdur Rehman, who on behalf of Secretary Energy, congratulated UNIDO for conducting the most imported training on the topic. Inhis special remarks,Ms. Nadia Tahir, Director Lahore Chamber, on behalf of LCCI president Mr. Malik Tahir Javed,also appreciated UNIDO on holding these training sessions, on the most critical issue of energy, which tackled the real issues in the industry. She highlighted the importance of collaboration of UNIDO &LCCI for such initiatives which she said would support the businesses speciallyto those based on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Earlier on, in her welcome remarks, UNIDO Country representative, Ms. Nadia Aftab expressed her delight on the active participation of high level delegates from industry. She elaborated upon the goal and mission of UNIDO, while highlighting contribution by UNIDO on sustainable development goal # 9 (SDG #9) underthe policy of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID).The National Project Manager REEE,Mr.Masroor Ahmad Khan, apprised the participants of the key features of the Project. He marked the Vendors Training and Top management orientations session as the most important ones at a time when new opportunities were arising in the country.One of the participants from equipment supplier, Mr. Khalid Islam, Chief Consultant of Zorays Solar shared that this training had been a source of valuableinformation regarding business opportunities for its products.Ms Anila Hayat, a woman professional from Green Building Council greatly applauded the efforts of GEF & UNIDO helping to motivate women participation and shared that this training wouldhelp her in diversifying her work on energy. Mr. Faraz Ahmed,Senior Vice President of Shakarganj Foods, showed his delight in having getting learned some new things and assure UNIDO about the active collaboration in implementation of Energy initiative in his company.The participants were awarded the certificates on the last day of the Vendors Training, marking the conclusion of the training session.