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Action Plan 2025-2026

The Global ESCO Network continues to expand its activities, and its work programme for 2025-26 has now been agreed upon. The work programme is not exclusive, and we are always open to suggestions for new activities to promote ESCOs and Energy Performance Contracting.

Expansion of the Network   

While the network is anchored in national and regional ESCO associations, it has become evident that the network will expand its engagement with entities that have a focus on promoting the use of Energy Performance contracting beyond ESCO associations. The network will expand its outreach activities to include promoters of EPCs such as government agencies, Super ESCOs (public and private) and IFIs. While the list is not exhaustive, it remains a fundamental principle that the Global ESCO Network reinforces and adds to national and regional ESCO associations’ work and thus does not compete with the associations for partnerships.

Outreach and Networking

The Global ESCO Network will prioritize outreach and networking in its current work plan, fulfilling its purpose of promoting the use of EPC and the development of ESCOs as a prime instrument for achieving national energy efficiency goals in support of global climate action.

Quarterly Newsletter

The quarterly newsletter, including news on the development of the ESCO market at all levels, events, best cases, tenders and opportunities, established in 2024, will continue with a special section for inputs from national ESCO associations.

Regional Presence

It will be a priority for the Global ESCO Network to be present at annual regional ESCO related conferences when they occur, to promote the Global ESCO Network and its mission and increase the interest in benefiting from the Network’s activities. Representation should be assured by any participant in the Network (Global ESCO Network Secretariat, Advisory Committee or other Network participant, to be agreed case by case).

The Annual International ESCO Symposium

Established in 2024, the International ESCO Symposium will continue as an annual event. We will build on a strategy to have the event hosted by national ESCO associations, which will take the full responsibility of the organisation and assume the financial risks. The Global ESCO Network Secretariat is permanently open to receive proposals and offers for hosting upcoming Symposiums. The selection of the host for each year will be decided by the secretariat of the Global ESCO Network based on a set of criteria that will include a global representation and impact over the years. The Global ESCO Network will keep the management of the content of the event, while working in full collaboration with the hosting national ESCO association.

The network secretariat, in coordination with the host of the Symposium, will explore opportunities to facilitate an interactive symposium allowing to dive deeper into technical aspects, e.g. through roundtables and workshops, ‘meet the experts’ etc.

The 3rd International ESCO Symposium will be hosted by ANESE and is planned for 21-22 October 2026 in Madrid.

Working Groups

The partners of the network have expressed the need to deepen the engagement and knowledge sharing among partners and enhance work programmes through dedicated working groups. The working groups will be based on voluntary participation, while the network secretariat will facilitate initial connections and identify chairs for the working groups. The working groups can reach out beyond network partners with the needed capacity and expertise to support the working groups, e.g. financiers, insurers, policy makers, etc.

Several topics have been identified as essential for provision of deeper knowledge on subjects which are addressed by the Global ESCO Network’s policy advice. This includes

  • Finance
  • Insurance
  • Contractual provisions
  • Policy

Initially, the working group on ‘Policy’ is established, while the Secretariat invites interested Network partners to initiate the establishment of working groups on the remaining subjects.

Working Group on Policy

The Network has already developed six generic Policy Advice papers aimed at delineating the policies needed for a functioning ESCO ecosystem through contributions from the Advisory Committee and Network participants. These are:

  1. A fit for purpose definition of ESCOs
  2. An accreditation registry
  3. A standard based contract
  4. Financing mechanisms to facilitate and promote ESCO operations
  5. A straightforward clarification of accounting, fiscal and taxation issues
  6. Enabling public procurement of ESCO services

To elaborate on the Network’s policy advice and provide more detailed information on the policies and their establishment, the working group will:

  • gather cases and best practices for the policy advise provided by the network.
  • liaise with other working groups as they are established to gather information and inputs to the relevant policy advice.

Expand where feasible on the policy advise with the description of best practices and steps for their successful implementation.

Analysis and Publications

The Global ESCO Network will develop publications on the basis of voluntary contributions from Network partners and efforts by the Secretariat.

Based on a common analytical design developed in collaboration with IEA, an annual ESCO market analysis is undertaken with indispensable input from all ESCO associations. Questionnaires are distributed by the Secretariat.

Based on the analysis, an annual ‘Global ESCO Market Analysis’ will be institutionalized as a core publication of the Network. The Network secretariat aims to continue the data gathering for the Global ESCO Market Report through continued collaboration with the IEA and continue working to improve the analysis.

Other Publications

The Regulatory Barriers for ESCOs publication will continue, but the frequency of updates will be reduced to a biennial update. The latest is the 3rd edition. The Global ESCO Network’s general Policy Advice may be expanded into a publication based on the current six policy advice documents, with additional input from related working groups where possible. A number of other publications are considered for development in the future.

  • Regulatory barriers for ESCOs 4th edition
  • IFRS16 and the impact on the use of Energy Performance Contracting
  • Super ESCO concepts
  • EVO Measurement and Verification (M&V) certification programs
  • ESCO financing for banks

Webinars

The Global ESCO Network’s series of webinars continues with 6-8 webinars per year. Registrations have passed 5000, showing no signs of decline in interest. Among the potential topics for 2025-2026 are:

  • Super ESCO structuring for the municipal sector in Canada
  • Energy Savings and Energy Efficiency Insurance
  • Learnings from the Global ESCO Market report 2025 (to be repeated in 2026)
  • Expanding the scope of ESCOs to combine EE, RE and EV
  • White certificates
  • M&V and EPC for Facility Owners
  • National ESCO Markets series through ESCO associations

Optional Actions

A number of actions require the raising of dedicated funding. The Secretariat will continue its efforts to raise funding for general activity support

The Global ESCO Network could also focus its activities on other specific actions based on the interests of stakeholders, including:

  • Promotion of inclusion of ESCOs in Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement
  • Gather success stories with inputs from Global ESCO Network participants
  • Outreach to ESCO related stakeholders (non-associations), particularly regulators and financiers and stakeholders in countries with no ESCO association.
  • Establish an annual award for Global ESCO Network participants