Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), in cooperation with Partnership for Road Safety Foundation (PfRS), has begun implementing the initiative - "Initiation of an Auto Fuel Efficiency Programme in Georgia & Development of the Caucasus Fuel Economy Initiative (CFEI)". As the first initiative to address auto fuel economy specifically in the region, this project is a part of the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) and is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as GFEI partner organizations: the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the FIA Foundation.

The objectives of the initiative are to catalyze the development of national fuel economy plans, targets and policies in the South Caucasus sub-region through partnership with the GFEI. Using existing policy, strategies and technology, this will lead to increased automobile fuel economy and energy security at the national level, lowering overall CO2 and pollutant emissions from the sector, and will contribute to 50% fuel economy improvement worldwide by 2050.

The project was launched in Georgia, while also actively engaging in sub-regional knowledge sharing in the Caucasus. The GFEI aims to spread successful and cost-effective approaches to a more fuel efficient auto sector, and has developed an international network of expertise and knowledge to support national and regional initiatives such as the CFEI.

The project team will work with all stakeholders, including governmental and nongovernmental structures, international organizations, and business sector and consumer groups. This will enable the project to consider the opinions and visions of all interested parties.

The main activities of this initiative will be implemented along a two-tiered approach:

1) Intensive engagement of the GFEI in Georgia as a GFEI sub-regional node and production of a ‘case study' for the GFEI approach that includes:

• Institutional and Vehicle Stock Baseline Development (including multi-year emission comparisons and trends);
• Target Setting through national consultation; and
• Auto Fuel Efficiency Plan/Policy Development.

2) Scaling up of the GFEI approach and lessons learnt in Georgia to the South Caucasus

The initiative will take 2 years to complete, resulting in a finalized national fuel efficiency proposal for Georgia, practical training for policymakers and shared experience with the South Caucasus countries. This will be implemented through a sub-regional Caucasus network, which will be established within the framework of the initiative.

Financial support is provided by UNEP, the Global Environment Facility and the European Union and the project builds on previous UNEP-supported work on cleaner fuels and vehicles in the sub-region through the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles.