News
Displaying Results 76 - 100 of 139
Many low-carbon technologies require vast amounts of critical raw materials. Renewable energy, battery storage, nuclear energy, energy efficiency, and carbon capture and storage all need critical raw materials. Discussions on critical raw materials typically focus on demand, yet broader…
The world is not on track to meet the target of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 'well below' 2°C. Participants at the Ninth International Forum of Energy for Sustainable Development (12-15 November 2018) in Kiev, Ukraine, deliberated on how nuclear energy could contribute to deep…
A number of legislative, policy, economic and financial barriers remain to significant improvements in energy efficiency and increased uptake of renewable energy. Identifying policies and measures in the UNECE region that reduce these barriers can help in increasing investment and financing…
Countries choose different pathways to meet commitments they have made under the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement, as national circumstances vary significantly. Analysis of the progress to date shows that much greater effort is needed, including much bolder policy commitments,…
What are the interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goals on sustainable energy (SDG 7) and gender equality (SDG 5)? How can improving understanding of gender dimensions within the energy sector and promoting women’s participation in energy-related decision-making drive progress in both…
As part of broad support to countries’ sustainable energy transition, a field project implemented by UNECE has introduced a cost-effective green technology-solution in rural Kyrgyzstan. A new biogas unit, launched in September 2018, delivers concrete renewable energy solutions for a rural…
A recent UNECE study on mapping of energy efficiency standards in buildings has shown that there is still much room for improvement in the setting and application of such standards in the countries of the UNECE region. In many countries there are challenges both with strictness and with…
Each year in Colombia the coal mining sector is responsible for more fatalities than all other sectors of the heavy industry combined. Since 2005, there were 1,129 reported emergency situations in the local mines causing 1,332 deaths. If adjusted to also include accidents associated with illegal…
Why is it that Africa, which hosts some of the most abundant mineral and energy resources in the world, is not fully benefitting from this wealth?A significant share of recent new investments for mineral and energy resource exploration and development has been in Africa and this needs to…
It is recognized that raw materials and energy are the backbones for sustainable development. In a world facing multiple social, climatic and environmental challenges, managing the supply of mineral and energy resources is becoming more and more complex. In this context, investors…
Efficient production and supply of energy and raw material resources are vital to attaining the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Making resource development activities sustainable has emerged as a critical challenge. While the performance…
Improving energy efficiency can bring multiple economic, social and environmental benefits and is widely viewed as one of the most effective ways to accelerate progress towards the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. Investments in energy efficiency…
Kazakhstan wants renewable energy (RE) to reach 50% of its energy mix by 2050, with intermediate targets of 3% (or new 2,000 MW investment) by 2020 and 10% by 2030. Mr. Kanat Bozumbayev, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan, pointed out yesterday that one of the main instruments to attract the…
How to align resource management to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with due consideration to socio-economic, environmental and technological aspects? Emphasis needs to be on reducing the carbon and environmental footprints of the resource sectors through technological interventions…
Energy efficiency implementation at a global level is an essential dimension of climate action, and is considered fundamental to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. An overwhelming majority of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to the agreement submitted by countries…
Mining and production of useful energy fuels such as uranium usually proceed as if in a factory assembly line. Exploration geologists locate the resources, which are then mined by mining engineers, following which chemical engineers and metallurgists process the mined ore to produce the refined…
Coal mining represents one of the main sources of anthropogenic (man-made) methane emissions. Whilst methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) there is much that can be done to mitigate its effect on the climate, which will be essential if countries are to attain the ambitious targets of the 2030…
Energy efficiency and renewable energy are two of the three pillars of Sustainable Development Goal 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Progress in achieving the targets of SDG7 on energy efficiency and renewable energy is still insufficient in many…
Sustainable development must be underpinned by sustainable energy systems. In Azerbaijan, the government has adopted the increased use of renewable energy sources as a priority area for the country. To support this objective, Azerbaijan is planning for the installation of stations designed…
Beyond the “resource curse”: the need for strengthened resource management in AfricaThe earliest evidence for mining in the world dates back over 40,000 years ago in Swaziland in Africa. Richly endowed with oil, gas and mineral resources, Africa ranks either first or second in resources of many…
Waste is a challenge waiting to be transformed into an opportunity that can help achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Health and environmental risksOn 14 April 2017, as Sri Lanka was celebrating its traditional new year, a mountain of waste lying on the northeastern…
Waste from industrial and domestic activities is a major concern for many countries around the world. As the global population grows and consumption increases, managing waste has become a seemingly insurmountable challenge. For example, solid municipal waste, which is generated at an annual rate…
The State Commission on Mineral Resources of the Russian Federation (GKZ) announced it will bridge its new national solid minerals classification to the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) at an international conference held in Moscow, 30-31 May. The solid minerals…
Energy Ministerial Conference in Astana will discuss how to meet the challenge of sustainable energy
What practical solutions are needed to design a pathway to a sustainable energy system? What are the possible policy drivers to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other pledges like the Paris Agreement on climate change? These will be some of the main questions debated at…
Interruptions in energy and material flows can be devastating for any economy. That is why reliable, affordable and safe provisioning of energy and raw material supply is of paramount importance. The recent end of the “commodity super cycle” and market turmoil for energy and mineral resources…