A UNECE-led partnership will improve energy efficiency of the global building supply chain and its products to deliver high performance buildings in seven UNECE member States: Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
The launch of the project was announced by Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, Deputy-Minister, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, in her address to the 69th session of the Economic Commission for Europe on 20 April 2021.
"If there is one area where the world could take bold action to achieve the 2030 Agenda’s objectives, it is in improving the performance of the global building industry”, stated UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova. “Funding high-performance buildings and retrofitting existing ones can rapidly reinvigorate local economies, supporting or creating quality jobs throughout the entire building supply chain while delivering quality of life for everyone.”
The building and construction sector plays a key role in addressing global issues including reducing GHG emissions, improving energy security and increasing circularity in the economy. The sector is integral to achieving the Paris Agreement goals as it is responsible for approximately 40 percent of energy- and process-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The proposed project is designed to enable delivery of high-performance buildings by addressing the readiness of industry to deliver the needed materials, technologies, and equipment. It also aims to connect building energy efficiency with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the beneficiary countries. By supporting the national economic, social, and environmental goals and bringing multiple benefits for stakeholders in addition to energy savings, the project would bring strong political commitment to ensure sustainability of developed solutions, methods, and instruments beyond its completion.
The project represents a scaling-up potential, as these solutions, methods, and instruments can be transferred to other countries and regions with an enduring positive impact for the global building sector supply chain. The innovative nature of the project includes an integrated approach to the complete building sector supply chain to deliver buildings that perform on energy, environment, and quality of life aspects well beyond current practice.
The project will be financed by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
The project kick-off meeting will take place in May 2021. Other project implementing partners include United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Offices in the beneficiary countries, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), Passivhaus Institut (Germany), UNEP-Technical University of Denmark Partnership (UDP), Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production (EEP) (Germany) and Green Building Alliance (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States).