Energy Efficiency in Housing
Project title: UNECE Action Plan for Energy Efficiency in Housing
Countries: UNECE member States
Duration: 24 Months
Estimated budget: Euro75,000
Executing Agency: UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management (CHLM)
General objective: To assist UNECE governments to improve energy efficiency in the housing sector and enhance energy performance of buildings.
Background: As part of its programme of work, the Committee on Housing and Land Management is addressing the issue of energy efficiency in housing. In particular the Committee is identifying and addressing political, institutional, financial, technological and institutional gaps in the UNECE region. The CHLM has undertaken an in depth-analysis of the situation of energy efficiency in housing in the region and identified the main areas requiring intervention and action as well as investigated identified existing replicable projects. In order to facilitate exchange of information and discuss policy advice the CHLM is organizing two workshops on energy efficiency in housing: in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 21-22 April 2009 and in Vienna, Austria in November 2009. The first workshop focuses on opportunities and constraints in the sector, with a view to bridging the gaps between decision making and practice. The second one will focus on recommendations to policy and decision-makers. As common thread, the meetings will develop guidance that should lead governments to enhance energy efficiency in the housing sector, also through national plans.
Brief Description: As part of this effort to assist governments to improve the performance of buildings, the drafting of an action plan for energy efficiency in the UNECE region would represent an important capacity building tool. Activities, actions and solutions proposed by the plan could be mainstreamed into national and local strategies, and thus provide an important blueprint for energy efficiency in housing in the region. The Action Plan would: a) provide a list of gaps and constraints preventing countries from increasing the energy performance of buildings; b) identify possible solutions to overcome those constraints, also based on existing examples; c) identify the main actors that should be involved in the corrective action d) identify the main steps for the corrective action e) identify related challenges and risks; f) identify potential partners that could assist in the implementation of the solution. The Action Plan is expected to be a practical tool for decision makers, and as such should be developed by policy-makers of member States in cooperation with the Secretariat, possibly through a number of consultations and dedicated workshops.
