For the European Commission, STELLA conducted an independent evaluation of RIET, an EC-Singapore initiative facilitating technical, economic, and industrial cooperation between Europe and Asia in the environment sector by promoting best environmental practices. The EU and Singapore used the evaluation report to commit additional financial resources. The STELLA team assessed RIET's services, summarising RIET's activities and performance services in meeting its objectives. The team also analysed RIET's capacity to achieve the goals of Technology Windows, as well as RIET's internal structure, its revenues, organisation, and management. The report concluded that RIET was meeting its stated objectives and was playing a significant role in raising the EU's profile in Southeast Asia, thus justifying additional EU support.

For the European Commission, STELLA prepared a Europe-Asia environmental cooperation strategy covering 17 Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Based on the overall objective of the EU environmental cooperation programme with Asia (assisting Asia in protecting its natural resources and abating its pollution), STELLA reviewed the environmental challenges in Asia, stakes for Europe, and existing environmental cooperation with Asia. After several internal consultation meetings with the European Commission's Directorate Generals and one public consultation meeting, STELLA established Europe-Asia environmental cooperation objectives. STELLA prepared a report summarising the results of its review and specifying criteria for selecting Europe-Asia environmental cooperation activities and for the strategy's implementation.

For the European Commission, STELLA conducted an independent evaluation of the Support Programme to the Environment Sector in Cambodia (SPEC). SPEC was a 20 month programme with a budget of 3 MECU financed by the European Commission. SPEC's goal was to strengthen Cambodia's Ministry of Environment (MoE) in three steps: (1) define global strategies and environmental programmes; (2) assist the MoE in water pollution control, solid waste management, conservation of natural resources, and sustainable management of the Great Lake of Tonle Sap; and (3) implement pilot projects in the sectors above. STELLA assessed the coherence of SPEC's work plan with the financing agreement, evaluated the performance of SPEC's various project components after nine months, and recommended a revised action plan enabling the delivery, within the time and budget constraints, of successful pilot projects in line with SPEC's overall objectives. STELLA also recommended a follow-up project on pollution prevention and sustainable development of the Great Lake of Tonle Sap.

For the European Commission, STELLA conducted the mid-term evaluation of the Asia Eco-Best (AEB) programme. Financed by the EC, the five-year AEB programme (€8 million) promoted European environment best practices and business in Asia. AEB sought to (1) promote environmental-friendly economic growth in Asia, (2) increase exposure and access of Asian businesses to environment-related know-how, capacities and standards in the EU, and (3) increase trade and investment flows between the EU and Asia, based on competition that is not detrimental to the environment. The Regional Institute of Environmental Technology (RIET) implemented AEB and provided services to AEB recipients through co-financing, including conferences and seminars, training and information material, Environmental Impact Assessment, and business networks. STELLA led the evaluation team and reviewed how effectively RIET was implementing AEB. STELLA analysed answers to a questionnaire sent to grant recipients and comments from the AEB Advisors. The evaluation team met representatives from AEB and RIET, European partners in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France and Asian partners in Singapore, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and India. STELLA concluded that AEB had a positive impact on European SMEs and was very successful. STELLA also made suggestions to strengthen AEB and RIET.

For the European Commission, STELLA prepared a proposal to finance Asia Pro-Eco, the second phase of the Asia Eco-Best (AEB) programme --a five-year programme to improve the environment in Asia and promote trade and investment in European environmental technologies. The proposal described the contents of Asia Pro-Eco, its organisation, operation, instruments, and costs. The team led by STELLA developed (1) the programme's objectives and content, (2) the institutional framework to implement the programme, and (3) the programme budget. Asia Pro-Eco aims at promoting economic co-operation between the EU and Asia in environmental technology transfer of European environmental know-how and technology, and co-operation among environmental business and institutions in the Asian region. The program design team met with the main stakeholders in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, UK, and Ireland) and Asia (China, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines) to seek their inputs for developing Asia Pro-Eco.

STELLA participated in the mid-term evaluation of the Municipal Environmental Cooperation Programme (MECP), a programme of environmental cooperation between European and Asian municipalities financed by the European Commission and managed by the Paris-based United Town Development Agency. This three-year programme had a budget of more than 500,000 ECUs and aimed at facilitating the transfer of European know-how and engineering expertise to Asia. Environmental fields in the programme included water distribution, drainage, sewage collection and treatment, solid and hazardous waste collection, treatment and recycling, air and noise pollution abatement, green space planning and energy saving. STELLA assessed MECP's technical, financial, organisational, and managerial effectiveness. STELLA designed and sent a 20-page questionnaire to 66 interested parties (cities and associations of cities, NGOs, international institutions, consultants). In parallel, STELLA staff met officials from four European cities (in Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom) and seven Asian cities (in Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). Based on these visits and the responses to the questionnaire, STELLA made specific recommendations to the European Commission regarding MECP's future.

For the United Nations Development Programme and the China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchanges, STELLA has supported the Government of China in its ongoing institutional reform to promote greater efficiency in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) services. The project assisted two pilot cities --Mianyang (600,000 people) in the Sichuan Province and Zhang Zhou (300,000 people) in the Fujian Province-- in transitioning toward a market-oriented management of MSW. STELLA helped the two pilot cities to identify options for MSW Management and develop a comprehensive set of affordable tariffs to ensure full cost recovery and therefore financial sustainability of operations. In particular, STELLA advised on the financial and institutional arrangements (BOOT, BOO, joint venture) that the two cities will establish with the private sector to provide waste management services and to procure and build Zhang Zhou's new waste management facility. STELLA has also designed and implemented a double awareness campaign. The first part of the campaign was to inform the population of the new tariffs while highlighting the benefits of the proposed reforms. The second part measured the reaction of the population to these new tariffs and to the improved MSW management. Finally, STELLA was also in charge of controlling and supervising Mianyang's new waste management facility (landfill, incinerator, and composting facility).

For Mianyang's Environmental Sanitation Bureau (ESB), STELLA conducted a diagnostic of the commercial use of biogas recovered from its landfill. The diagnostic had three objectives: (1) Evaluate the commercial feasibility of recovering biogas from the Mianyang landfill; (2) Improve air quality in Mianyang and China; and (3) Reduce the cost of waste management in Mianyang and China. STELLA characterised the baseline quantity and composition of gas generated by Mianyang landfill, developed options for utilisation and purification, and conducted cost benefit and recovery analyses. STELLA compared different reuse options for the biogas recovered, such as flaring, fuel for vehicles, waste incineration, and electricity production. According to the financial model developed by the team, converting the gas to electricity provides the highest Net Present Value. STELLA then conducted a preliminary environmental assessment of the project, prepared the conceptual design of collection, recovery, and combustion systems, identified data to be collected, and described the quality control and assurance procedures that will be undertaken to monitor the reduction of GHG emissions. The project team developed an appropriate transaction structure (e.g., BOO, BOT) and a financing strategy, and trained ESB staff on biogas collection and reuse. STELLA also organised two information and dissemination conferences with media involvement in Mianyang and Beijing to present the final outcomes of the study to other cities in China with similar needs.

For Pingzheng Environmental Engineering Co., STELLA prepared a Project Idea Note (PIN) that was submitted to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the potential buyer of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). STELLA also prepared a Project Design Document (PDD) to register the project of landfill gas recovery in Mianyang and Guang Yuan as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project under the Kyoto Protocol. The project located in two cities located north of Chengdu in the Sichuan Province aimed at collecting and flaring or capturing the landfill gas to produce energy (electricity and heat), therefore reducing methane emissions from the two cities' landfills. Overall, the project planned to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 822,591 tonnes of CO2eq for the period 2006-2012. STELLA prepared the different parts of the PDD, including a description of the project activities and their duration, the baseline and monitoring methodologies, the estimation of GHG emissions by sources, the potential environmental impacts, and stakeholders' comments. First, STELLA described the different reuse options for the biogas recovered, such as flaring, fuel for vehicles, waste incineration, and electricity production and conducted economic and financial analyses. According to the financial model developed by the project team, converting the gas to electricity provides the highest Net Present Value. STELLA then prepared the conceptual design of collection, recovery, and combustion systems, identified data to be collected, and described the quality control and assurance procedures that will be undertaken to monitor the reduction of GHG emissions. STELLA also carried out a preliminary environmental assessment of the proposed CDM project and identified relevant local stakeholders (mainly neighbours of the landfills) to seek their views on the project and take into account their comments during the preparation of the PDD.

STELLA implemented a project funded under ASIA-LINK, one of the Commission's Asia-wide Programmes. The goal of the project was to develop a curriculum on low-cost wastewater treatment for higher education in Europe and Asia. The project has: (i) strengthened the analytical and training capacity of higher education institutions in Asia (China and Vietnam) and Europe (Denmark and Belgium) by training MSc level students with the most up-to-date knowledge in low-cost wastewater treatment and environmental economics; (ii) assisted in developing curricula worldwide on low-cost wastewater treatment and environmental economics and in disseminating information through a network of higher learning institutions and former students; and (iii) established links among partners allowing the development of more contacts in education and research. The project developed new approaches, methods, and analytical tools to help integrate the environment into the decision-making process and influence the choice of appropriate policies. The project resulted in a complete curriculum, already tested and improved. Professors were trained and have now received all of the teaching materials required to repeat this experience later on. One of the outcomes is a strengthened capacity and awareness of professionals in economic concepts and methods to estimate environmental benefits and conduct cost-benefit analyses.

For the Singapore-based Regional Institute of Environmental Technology, STELLA staff assessed the demand for environmental infrastructure projects in 24 medium-sized urban centres (population between 90,000 and 350,000) in Vietnam. STELLA staff evaluated the development of private environmental infrastructure projects and studied ways to encourage foreign direct investment (Build Operate Transfer (BOT)) in urban and industrial wastewater and waste management systems. In particular, STELLA staff emphasised locally adapted waste recycling options of marketable products. STELLA staff also conducted a critical analysis of the type and level of development assistance that these centres had already been getting from bilateral and multilateral donors as well as from non-government organisations. Based on this assessment, STELLA staff developed a prioritised list of possible projects (including small in-the-field pilot projects with local population participation) and proposed an action plan to develop the most promising projects.

For the US Trade and Development Agency, STELLA staff prepared the terms of reference for a Feasibility Study (FS) on hazardous waste management in Malaysia. The FS evaluated whether Kualiti Alam (KA), the 15-year hazardous waste management concessionaire selected by the Malaysian government, could use the plasma technology in their Waste Management Centre in Bukit Nanas. Plasma arc torches use electricity to generate extremely high temperatures (from 5,000 to 14,000 degrees Celsius) that disassociate organics into gases and melt inorganics into lava. During its mission in Malaysia, STELLA staff met with KA's executives who expressed strong interest in plasma and requested TDA's assistance. KA's Waste Management Centre in Bukit Nanas currently includes a hazardous waste storage facility and a hazardous waste landfill. A plasma plant would complement the upcoming 50,000 tons per year incinerator and would handle ash from the incinerator and wastes that cannot be incinerated. To prepare the terms of reference, STELLA staff reviewed the quantities and types of hazardous wastes generated in Malaysia and assessed current waste management practices. STELLA staff also estimated the capital and operation and maintenance costs of KA's proposed 80,000 tons per year Plasma Pyrolysis and Vitrification Plant. STELLA staff recommended that TDA finance a FS to assess the commercial viability of the plasma technology for hazardous waste treatment. TDA signed a $300,000 grant agreement with KA. A consortium of four US companies (Global Plasma System, Westinghouse, SAIC, and Ernst and Young) conducted the FS (under a cost-sharing arrangement) that resulted in a partnership between Global Plasma System and KA.

For the World Bank, STELLA staff participated in a mission to evaluate health effects from air pollution (lead and particulate) on the urban population of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor, and Perak). Using data on ambient concentrations of lead and particulate in these four cities and dose-response relationships developed in the United States, STELLA staff estimated the magnitude of several adverse health outcomes including: mortality, respiratory hospital admissions, emergency room visits, restricted activity days for adults, lower respiratory illness for children, asthma attacks, and chronic disease. STELLA staff evaluated the economic value associated with these health effects and their impact on Gross National Product (GNP). STELLA staff also estimated health and economic benefits that would result from reducing ambient concentrations of lead and particulate to World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

For the World Bank, STELLA staff completed a study to initiate an Industrial Pollution Prevention programme in Vietnam. STELLA staff visited four industrial plants (two paper mills, a caustic soda plant, and a plywood plant) located in the two largest industrial zones in Vietnam: Viet Tri and Bien Hoa. STELLA staff also outlined a national action plan recommending both the creation of a Task Force led by the State Planning Committee and the Ministry of Environment and a training programme to initiate the managers of this entity to pollution prevention principles and techniques. For this study, STELLA staff reviewed the environmental standards promulgated by the Ministry of Environment in March 1995. These standards adapted from the Singapore standards distinguish between new and existing facilities.