Energy efficiency of Public Sector Buildings

Report ID: 244

The supreme audit institutions of the Flanders region of Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Slovakia have conducted a cooperative audit on the energy efficiency of public sector buildings. The cooperative audit was conducted within the framework of the Working Group for Environmental Auditing of the European Organization for Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI WGEA). The aim of the audit was to determine how well the participating countries have implemented the respective requirements of the European Union Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive. Audited countries have mostly done well in transposing the concrete targets of the directives into national law.

For example, most countries have put in place the 3% renovation or energy saving target for public sector buildings, devised necessary financial instruments, as well as established requirements for nearly zero-energy buildings and for public sector buildings to have and display energy performance certificates. Likewise, the systems for monitoring and control have been developed. Nevertheless, implementation has remained a challenge. Looking more closely into how the targets, requirements and systems have been implemented, the national audits found that funding has mostly been incoherent, and the effectiveness of the financial support system has not been analysed in all but one country. And only one country could report that the funds spent for fulfilling the 3% target are being monitored. Though both the 3% target and the deadline for nearly zero-energy buildings have been set in national legislation, proper planning and measuring for achieving the targets are lacking in some countries.

Furthermore, monitoring and control systems tend not to fulfil their purpose. National audits have discovered that checking the quality and proper placement of energy performance certificates has been infrequent and, in some cases, checks have not been conducted in practice. Though countries have been keen to use the options listed in the EED by choosing narrower definitions and smaller renovation and savings targets of central government buildings, over half of the participating countries are still struggling to meet the 3% target.

According to the SAI’s this was mainly due to a lack of planning or a poor implementation of existing plans. Inadequate funding and the poor quality of data on renovations or energy saved, were also pointed out by participating SAIs. In their national audit reports, participating SAIs have recommended to undertake systematic and improved planning, as well as comprehensive strategies to enhance the energy performance of public sector buildings.

SAIs also stated that implementation of energy efficiency programmes could be more efficient and effective. Furthermore, participating SAIs noted that monitoring and control activities should be more systematic. Their results should be analysed and measures should be taken to eliminate any shortcomings. Another important issue SAIs pointed out is the need for improved funding of energy efficiency measures. This includes more information about funding options, as well as more ambition in devising measures.

Auditoría Coordinada de Energías Renovables

Report ID: 245

La Organización Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Entidades Fiscalizadoras Superiores (OLACEFS), por medio del Grupo de Trabajo de Auditoría de Obras Públicas (GTOP), escogió el tema energías renovables en el sector eléctrico para la realización de una auditoría coordinada.

Participaron en los trabajos conjuntos las Entidades Fiscalizadoras Superiores de doce países (Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Paraguay y Venezuela). Ello hizo posible promover un intercambio de informaciones sobre las políticas energéticas adoptadas en cada país y una posterior consolidación de los resultados de la auditoría, con el propósito de contribuir con la mejora de las estrategias dirigidas hacia la expansión de fuentes limpias en la matriz eléctrica.

El objetivo de la auditoría fue realizar un diagnóstico sobre políticas públicas e inversiones relacionadas con la expansión de las energías renovables en el sector eléctrico en los países participantes de la región de América Latina y el Caribe, en especial identificando buenas prácticas y oportunidades de mejora en dichas políticas, de manera que se contribuya al alcance de los compromisos asumidos por medio de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) y del Acuerdo de París.

Los objetivos específicos que abordó la auditoría coordinada fueron:

1) Identificar la situación actual de la matriz eléctrica en cada uno de los países miembros participantes de la OLACEFS;

2) Evaluar si existen políticas públicas establecidas para el alcance de los compromisos nacionales y/o internacionales asumidos para la expansión de las energías renovables en el sector eléctrico, en especial para el logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible y del Acuerdo de París;

3) Analizar las inversiones en infraestructura para la generación de energía eléctrica sostenible (fuentes hídrica, eólica, solar, biomasa, marea, etc.) y eventuales barreras existentes para la  inserción/expansión de esta infraestructura, sobre todo con relación a los aspectos relacionados a los desafíos operacionales, cuestiones regulatorias, políticas de subsidio y de fomento, seguridad energética, precio de la energía, modulación de las tarifas, entre otros.

AFROSAI-E and IDI Cooperative Audit on Extractive Industries

Report ID: 253

Under the framework of the IDI/AFROSAI-E Cooperative Audit Project on Extractive Industries,  a series of parallel performance audits on the topic of National Content in the oil and gas sector took place between 2014 and 2015 with the participation of the SAIs of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The original purpose of the project was to help SAIs identify risk areas in the Extractive Industries area and help them formulate an audit approach that they could execute. The ultimate goal was that each SAI should complete an audit on a topic related to public sector management of the extractive industries sector. 

The SAIs  conducted a performance audit to examine, among others, the benefits in terms of increased local employment and use of local suppliers that result from the oil and gas industry. The SAIs drew a distinction between local and national, because in some countries the governments were concerned with benefit accruing to nationals, whereas others had specific aims of seeing benefits accruing to local communities affected by the oil and gas industry. 

The report outlines the methods applied by the project, the results achieved and the experiences for future projects of this type.

SUMARIO EXECUTIVO DE AUDITORIA COORDENADA INTERNACIONAL "AVALIAÇÃO DAS POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS DE INSERÇÃO DE FONTES RENOVÁVEIS NA MATRIZ ELÉTRICA"

Report ID: 313

Com base nesse cenário, de inquestionável relevância social e econômica para a região, a Organização Latino-Americana e do Caribe de Entidades Fiscalizadoras Superiores (Olacefs), por meio do Grupo de Trabalho de Auditoria de Obras Públicas (GTOP), elegeu o assunto energias renováveis no setor elétrico para a realização de uma auditoria coordenada. Participaram dos trabalhos conjuntos Entidades Fiscalizadoras Superiores de doze países (Brasil, Chile, Colômbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Equador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, México, Paraguai e Venezuela). Em face dessa oportunidade, foi possível promover um intercâmbio de informações sobre as políticas energéticas adotadas em cada país e uma posterior consolidação dos resultados da auditoria, com o propósito de contribuir para o aprimoramento das estratégias voltadas ao incremento de fontes limpas na matriz elétrica

A auditoria teve como objeto central a avaliação das políticas públicas para inserção de fontes renováveis na matriz elétrica dos países participantes, incluídos os compromissos internacionais assumidos, bem como as diretrizes governamentais correlatas. Para atingir essa finalidade, foram estabelecidos os seguintes objetivos: 1) identificar a situação atual da matriz elétrica em cada um dos países membros da Para verificar as assinaturas, acesse www.tcu.gov.br/autenticidade, informando o código 63195435. 7 Olacefs participantes;

2) avaliar se existem políticas públicas estabelecidas para o alcance dos compromissos nacionais e/ou internacionais assumidos para a expansão das energias renováveis no setor elétrico, em especial para a consecução dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável e do Acordo de Paris;

3) analisar os investimentos em infraestrutura para a geração de energia elétrica sustentável (fontes hídrica, eólica, solar, biomassa, maré, etc) e eventuais barreiras existentes para a inserção/expansão dessa infraestrutura, sobretudo com relação aos aspectos relacionados aos desafios operacionais, questões regulatórias, políticas de subsídio e de fomento, segurança energética, preço da energia, modulação das tarifas, entre outros.

No contexto do esforço colaborativo induzido pelos acordos internacionais mencionados, esta auditoria também é importante ferramenta para detectar oportunidades de melhoria e boas práticas nas políticas públicas relacionadas ao tema, resultados que podem trazer insumos relevantes para a melhoria dessas políticas nos países participantes e até mesmo na comunidade internacional.

Fonte: https://www.olacefs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Relat%C3%B3rio-Completo_POR.pdf

* o relatório está também disponível em inglês e espanhol neste catálogo.

Summary sheet of the Coordinated Audit of Renewable Energies

Report ID: 314

The Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS), through the Public Works Audit Working Group (GTOP), chose the topic of renewable energies in the electricity sector to carry out a coordinated audit.

The Supreme Audit Institutions of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Venezuela participated in the joint work. This made it possible to promote an exchange of information on the energy policies adopted in each country and a subsequent consolidation of the results of the audit, with the aim of contributing to the improvement of strategies aimed at expanding clean sources in the electricity matrix.

The objective of the audit was to carry out a diagnosis on public policies and investments related to the expansion of renewable energies in the electricity sector in the participating countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region, especially identifying good practices and opportunities for improvement in these policies, so as to contribute to the achievement of the commitments assumed through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Paris Agreement.

The specific objectives addressed by the coordinated audit were:

1) To identify the current situation of the electricity matrix in each of the OLACEFS participating member countries;

2) To evaluate whether there are public policies in place to achieve national and/or international commitments for the expansion of renewable energies in the electricity sector, especially for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement;

3) Analyze investments in infrastructure for the generation of sustainable electrical energy (water, wind, solar, biomass, tidal, etc.) and possible existing barriers to the insertion/expansion of this infrastructure, especially in relation to aspects related to operational challenges, regulatory issues, subsidy and promotion policies, energy security, energy prices, tariff modulation, among others.

* The executive summary is available in Portuguese and Spanish on this catalogue.

Source: https://www.olacefs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Hoja-Resumen_ING.pdf