Republic of Lithuania

The 20-year-maturity loan totalling EUR 100 million has been provided for financing public sector efficiency project and housing renovation programme.

In the period 2009-2011, the Republic of Lithuania is implementing a project aimed at reducing the use of energy in public buildings, including the universities in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda, high schools, libraries, district courts, theatres, museums, hospitals, clinics, police stations and the offices of the national road administration. The total budget for the project amounts to EUR 231 million. The project envisages the reconstruction and renovation of 39 buildings with a total area of 230,000 square metres.

The financing will also be used for energy efficiency measures for more than 300 private apartment buildings (0.9 million square metres), or a housing renovation programme. It is being implemented in 2009-2010 according to the national housing strategy aimed at upgrading the engineering infrastructure of existing apartment buildings.

The main environmental issue of the programme is in the use of energy for the refurbished buildings. The project is expected to reduce the need for energy by 28 GWh annually. This will indirectly lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Lithuania.

No environmental policy or guidelines are being implemented. Nor is any environmental management system in place. The buildings are not to be certified in accordance with any “Green Buildings Certificate” or any other voluntary energy-saving programme. The compliance of the project with the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings needs to be ensured.