CANCEE is urging CEE governments to take a more responsible role, including commitments to the Toronto Target for CO2 reduction. Within the region, CANCEE main mission is strengthening the capacity of its members for addressing the climate change problem and further constituency building.

Nationally, CANCEE members priority is building the public awareness about the climate change problem as one of the important elements needed for achieving goal of the transformation of energy sectors toward more efficient and democratic ones.

The event toward which most of our work is being concentrated is the third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Climate Convention, which will take place in April 1997 in Japan. The CANCEE regional office facilitates the achievement of these goals through information dissemination, projects, and campaigns.

Monitoring of relevant issues and institutions

As the Global Environment Facility is entrusted, on an interim basis, with the operation of the financial mechanism of the Climate Convention, CANCEE is monitoring it, both on its policy and project level. CNE organized project within which several climate GEF projects where analysed. Two NGOs from CEE participate in the project, Polish Ecological Club and Socio Ecological Union.

CANCEE is active in the group of the NGOs working on the policy level of GEF and participating on the GEF Council meetings. CANCEE is closely monitoring developments related to the concept of "Joint Implementation".

Activities of CANCEE country focal points

Most important CANCEE country focal point, Centre for Nuclear Ecology and Energy Policy of the Socio - Ecological Union, "the biggest umbrella NGO for more than 200 groups all over the former Soviet Union, and based in Moskow", is coordinating the efforts of environmental groups from European Russia, Western Siberia and Far East. Main activities consist of critical analysis of national energy policy, initiated in 1992-93, showing that more emphasis should be placed on energy efficiency, renewables a nd energy conservation; interaction with regional governments, energy commissions, energy saving funds, and energy utilities; production of quarterly bulletin, "Energy and World Bank Gas Distribution Rehabilitation and Energy Efficiency Project, with close links to its GEF GHG Reduction Project.

Organization of the CANCEE

CANCEE is a project of the GREENWAY Energy Working Group (GEWG), a CEE network of environmental NGOs working on energy issues. Members of the CANCEE are GEWG members, active on the climate change issue.

The CANCEE Board of Advisors are: Emil Bedi - Foundation for Alternative Energy (Slovakia), Zsuzsa Foltany - The Energy Club (Hungary), Zbigniew Karaczun - Polish Ecological Club-Mazowian Branch (Poland), Lidia Popova - Socio Ecological Union (Russia), and Delia Villagrasa - CNE Director. The project coordinator is Toni Vidan of Green Action, Zagreb, where the CANCEE regional office is placed, as well. In order to ensure close cooperation with CNE, CANCEE Coordinator is a member of CNE Advisory Board.