Æquilibrium Consulting GmbH: more than 18 years of international work experience covering more than 50 countries

Design and reform of Environmental Funds

Æquilibrium Consulting has played key roles in efforts to establish or reform Environmental Funds in several countries, including Albania, Croatia, the People's Republic of China, the Maldives, Greece, Jordan, Laos, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Mali, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Vietnam and Romania. Advice and assistance typically included:
- Institutional and strategic positioning of the Funds within the existing financing market;
- Drafting/reviewing of Fund legislation and statutes;
- Elaboration of the Funds' organizational, governance and management structures, incl. staff profiles;
- Development of short and long-term spending strategies;
- Formulating the Funds' operating priorities, principles and rules;
- Development of the Funds' project cycle management procedures;
- Preparation of reporting policies and promotional materials;
- Reform/design of revenue sources (environmental taxes, user charges, voluntary instruments, etc.);
- Prepare the Funds for managing funds offered by bilateral and multilateral development partners.

Evaluations of Environmental Funds

Æquilibrium Consulting's Principals have led, or played key roles in, evaluating several Environmental Funds, including national funds in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Maldives, Poland, Vietnam and Slovenia and a provincial fund in Russia. By assessing these Funds against internationally accepted standards of good practice, the evaluations have led to recommendations for improving performance and effectiveness.

Feasibility studies for new environmental finance mechanisms

Æquilibrium Consulting's Principals have been responsible for preparing the following feasibility studies:
- Feasibility study for a new Regional Conservation Fund for the Prespa Lakes area (Albania, Greece, FYR Macedonia)
- Assessment of options for a new Environmental Fund in Lao PDR capitalized by an ADB Loan
- Assessment of the feasibility of a Black Sea Environmental Fund
- Assessment of the feasibility of a 20 MUSD "Green Credit Line and Trust Fund" in Viet Nam

Analytical and comparative studies

Æquilibrium Consulting's Principals have been responsible for the preparation of numerous analytical studies and reports on environmental finance, including: 
- Development of the eco-finance.org website
- "Sourcebook on Environmental Funds in Economies in Transition", an OECD publication covering more than 20 Environmental Funds in Eastern Europe.
- Sourcebook on Environmental Taxes in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as similar surveys on the use of economic instruments in environmental policy in Mediterranean and Eastern European countries