Background

In 2013 the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launched the Russian Residential Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (RuSEFF-Residential). To meet the growing demand for sustainable energy finance, through its local partner banks EBRD allocated USD 100 million for on-lending to individual clients (sub-borrowers). Individual clients are invited to plan and finance energy efficient renovation. The marketing lead for the launch and promotion of the Facility was assigned to Concordiste. Development of the Programme’s web-based resources, including a multimedia teaser, and a web-site, organising the launch event, developing marketing materials (such as brochures and case studies) and informing the press through EE dedicated events were the key points of the assignment.

Purpose

• Inform households in Russia of the benefits of an energy efficiency renovation and the opportunity to obtain loans through local partner banks
• Demonstrate the ease and benefits of planning steps for house/apartment renovation (case studies, multimedia teaser)
• Attract media and public attention to the subject of residential energy efficiency (launch events)
• Promote such tools as a selector of equipment or the EE Calculator developed by architects and engineers to facilitate prospective sub-borrowers’ investment decisions.

Main Activities

• Launch event organised in Moscow with 80 participants, among them Deputy Minister of Economic Development, banks’ representatives: Centre-Invest Bank, Transcapitalbank, Rosbank, Orient Express, other IFIs active in Russia, suppliers, homeowners’ associations, industry experts
• Cartoons about collective action for house renovation and window replacement
• Brochures and case studies with insights into EE renovation
• Web resources: RuSEFF-Residential website and Facebook page.

Achieved Impact

• Facility launched with 12 press coverage articles
• 4 Partner Banks joined the Programme since its launch
• The leading Russian banking web portal banki.ru used the cartoon as a door-opener when reporting about the RuSEFF-Residential Programme
• Center Invest Bank used the brochure for its clients in the Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar regions
• The whole allotted loan volume disbursed by the Partner Banks.