Energy Efficiency Law
Within the increasing efforts in developing renewable energy and energy efficiency in Lebanon following the adoption of national plans and the subsequent efforts, it is important to note that there is still no legislations in force related to the sector.
The National Energy Efficiency Plan for Lebanon (NEEAP 2011-2015), which was approved by the Council of Ministers (COM) and was further updated for the years 2016-2020, has stressed in its second initiative on the importance of the adoption of an Energy Conservation Law. A draft of this law was sent to COM and returned to the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) in November 2015. Afterwards and in collaboration with LCEC, a Committee composed of one judge, one lawyer, and three technical advisors have worked on developing an updated draft of the Energy Conservation Law. The law was drafted in 2019 and sent by MEW to COM for review prior to submitting the draft to the parliament. The draft version of the law was prepared in consistency with the adopted norms in neighboring countries and in conformity with international practices.
The proposed law includes provisions related to energy conservation in both the public and the private sectors. Its ultimate goal is to decrease the energy consumption by enforcing the use of energy efficiency measures in Lebanon, with a focus on the development of energy efficiency policies and their proper implementations. The law consists of nine (9) chapters: Chapter 1- Terminology, Chapter 2- Scope of Law and Definitions, Chapter 3- National Strategies and Plans, Chapter 4- Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Chapter 5- Energy Consuming Appliances, Machines, Equipment and Supplies, Chapter 6- Studies, Research and Awareness, Chapter 7- Tax Exemptions, Chapter 8- Violations and Penalties, and Chapter 9- Transitional Provisions.
Currently, the draft version of the law is under review by the concerned public bodies.
Earlier in 2020, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has offered technical and legal consultancy services to LCEC to address and analyse the draft Energy Conservation Law including its applicability and the ease of implementation. The study should lead to recommendations of technical and legal solutions based on international expertise, in a way to benefit from relevant best practices. This consultancy shall propose some recommendations to improve the existing articles if any, and to develop executive decrees for specific energy efficiency measures. Being a framework law, these executive decrees would allow a better implementation and a greater enforcement of the law’s articles.