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Sustainable development must be underpinned by sustainable energy systems. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that is still heavily dependent on coal and large hydropower at 67% and 31% of total electricity production, respectively. Significant initiatives are emerging…
Over the last few years, the world watched on as major environmental disasters that triggered technological accidents, such as Hurricane Harvey and the Fukushima power plant disaster, wreaked havoc on environments, lives and economies. Major accidents with far-reaching…
UNECE/FAO starts first ever study on forests in the Caucasus and Central Asia
Forests are rare in the Caucasus and Central Asia, and, as any rare good, should be valued, protected and cared for. This is because as of today still little is known about their values and state. To enhance the…
New guidelines to strengthen disaster risk management for man-made and technological hazards
Man-made and technological disasters, whether caused by natural or man-made hazards, can cause severe damage to individuals, communities, economies, supply chains and the environment. Moreover, they may trigger secondary disasters, aggravating initial impacts. Industrial…
Quality infrastructure is required for the effective operation of domestic markets, and its international recognition is important to facilitate access to foreign markets. Past estimates by the OECD demonstrate that standards and related conformity assessment have an…
Azerbaijan, UNECE sign a joint declaration on cooperation for Sustainable Development Goals
The Government of Azerbaijan and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) signed today a joint declaration on cooperation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The document was signed by Ali Ahmadov, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister and…
UNECE studies and networks will help reduce buildings’ energy consumption
Energy efficiency remains a challenge for countries in the UNECE region. Existing technologies can reduce energy consumption by 30 to 50 percent in buildings without significantly increasing investment costs. Moreover, improving the energy performance of a residential…
UN Road Safety Trust Fund approves first pilot projects
Road safety stakeholders from around the world have come together to advance the final steps in the operationalization of the United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund.
Member States representing each of the United Nations Regions – Argentina,…
On 4 December 2018, more than 30 years after the transboundary environmental disaster at Sandoz, Schweizerhalle, and more than 25 years after the adoption of the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, the 10th meeting of the Convention’s…
Towards the use of the UN Framework Classification for Sustainable Resources Management in Europe
The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is a universally acceptable and internationally applicable scheme for the sustainable management of all energy and mineral resources. It can harmonise data from different classification and reporting…
UNECE and the European Commission jointly hosted two sessions looking at the policy and investment options and challenges for scaling up deployment in Renewable energy and Energy efficiency and at the same time for durably addressing energy poverty and improving quality of…
EU conclusions on Water Diplomacy promote accession and implementation of the Water Convention
On 19 November 2018, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) adopted new conclusions on Water Diplomacy which underline the link between water, security and peace and promote accession to and implementation of the Convention on the Protection and Use of…
The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which among other areas is responsible for the development of the country’s environmental policy, has presented amendments to the national environmental legislation. The purpose of the amendments is to introduce…
Transforming the energy system will require creative and innovative shifts in policy and regulation. In many countries, the current political, regulatory, and industrial infrastructure is not yet ready for a deep and accelerated transformation of aging infrastructure.…
UNECE and Canada champion forest products for a more sustainable future
Innovative and sustainably produced wood products, when coupled with sustainable forest management, can ‘build the future’ and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a sector like construction, which globally accounts for 6% of total energy consumption…
Spruce, pine and fir are the main families of coniferous trees fueling the global forest products sector. They provide the raw material for just under 60% of wood products in the world. Products derived from these species are used as construction materials for buildings…
At the turn of their 50th anniversary, the Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic and on Road Signs and Signals from 1968 are more relevant than ever. Whether helping to address the most critical road safety needs, or facilitating the development of automated driving…
Paying for priceless values: forests’ role for water quality
Given the many threats to global water supply, forest management and planning will increasingly need to deploy strategies for optimizing watershed services – such as water purification, the regulation of surface flows, and erosion control. The services provided by forest…
Ukraine aligns its national mineral resources classification system to an improved UNFC
Ukraine is a country richly endowed with mineral resources. The minerals-based industries contribute approximately 10% of the GDP of Ukraine. The value of exports of mineral products and metals make up about 39.6% of the value of total commodity exports.
…Nigeria steps up road safety efforts by joining the key United Nations road safety conventions
Road traffic fatalities in Nigeria kill an estimated 21 out of every 100,000 people, according to WHO estimates. Together with this human cost, an estimated 3% of the country’s GDP is lost to road traffic crashes each year.
Less than a year…