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A UNECE working paper released today, Population and migration statistics in Armenia: current situation, future plans and ways to improve describes how Armenia is improving its statistics on population and migration by combining administrative data with sample surveys. The study reviews innovations…
Decarbonizing industry remains a key challenge for climate action: according to the International Energy Agency, industrial activity was directly responsible for emitting 9.4 Gt of CO2 in 2021, accounting for a quarter of global emissions (not including indirect emissions from electricity used for…
It is critical that construction industry’s general contractors, architects and governments find ways to innovate and incorporate minimum efficient standards and innovations, such as architectural upcycling and recycling, through proper and updated legislative frameworks and rules as well as…
With climate and biodiversity loss heading the news these days, another problem related to the planet we all share is often forgotten: air pollution. Air pollution has an enormous burden on public health, ecosystems, climate, and ultimately, the economy. Globally, the World Health Organization (…
The UNECE Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) continues to support actions to promote transparency in environmental matters across the globe. It drives the development of national legislation and practice towards a common set of international standards, bringing about…
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted that two seismic shifts will shape the 21st century: the climate crisis and digital transformation. Just as international cooperation is crucial to preserving the health of the planet, it is also needed to reap the benefits of digital…
Standards are in everything that surround us. Just the mobile phone in your pocket uses hundreds of standards, from the cellular network and the cable connectivity to physical elements such as the processing chips and the LED screen, not to mention security testing and the process design. We rely…
Energy efficiency is the so-called first fuel – the one you do not have to use, yet it gives you the services you need. It is inexpensive and abundant. And it is key to achieving systems resilience and to enhancing industrial performance.
At its 31st session held on 21 September 2022 in Geneva,…
Governments, Mayors, leading architects, urbanists and experts will gather in San Marino on 3-6 October 2022 for the 83rd session of the UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management. The session will support regional exchange of experiences and good practices to promote…
The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is now published in Hungarian. This version, alongside recently published editions in Greek and Portuguese, will support policymakers to implement enhanced sustainable resource management in the UNECE region.
UNFC is universally…
Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) - such as lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, graphite and rare earth elements - are essential to deliver on the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the build-up to COP27, UNECE and partners are mobilizing to address the challenges of…
The extreme heat and drought that the region experienced this summer is a bleak reminder that current commitments under the Paris Agreement and those made last year at COP26 are nowhere near what is needed to limit global warming to below 1.5°C. Inaction is a policy choice that will lead to greater…
Building resilient energy systems to address the ongoing global energy crisis will be top of the agenda of the upcoming Sustainable Energy Week (19-23 September). Representatives from UNECE's 56 member States will discuss how to ensure energy for optimal social, economic, and environmental…
All too often we take the air we breathe and share for granted. Only when we breathe very polluted air, when we can smell and see the pollution, do we realize that the air around us is a precious good that needs to be protected, much like the water we drink. On the International Day of Clean Air…
The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is now published in Greek and Portuguese. These translations will support policymakers to implement enhanced sustainable resource management in the UNECE region.
A universally acceptable and internationally applicable scheme for the…
As the sun sets in northern México, less than 100 kilometres from its border with the United States, news from the latest coal mining disaster near Sabinas, in the state of Coahuila, is heartbreaking for the families awaiting at the surface. Military divers who have bravely attempted to make their…
In 2022, international cooperation in energy and critical raw materials is high on the agenda. Optimal use of critical raw materials, for which demand is set to continue rising, will be crucial in delivering the green transition in energy, mobility and the digital world.
This will be in the…
At what point do we cease to be alarmed by a shocking reality? Many of you may already be familiar with the following figures, from the last WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety (2018).
Every year 1.3 million people are killed and around 50 million injured on the world’s roads, often with…
The third online meeting on the new Master Plan for Kharkiv on 28 May 2022 saw a group of local architects join the discussions led by the Norman Foster Foundation and the City Government of Kharkiv. Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov spoke of his vision to transform the city to become a great…
Evidence, in the form of data and statistics, is essential for formulating and monitoring policies. The term ‘evidence-based decision-making’, so commonly used that sometimes we don’t even think about it, makes this abundantly clear.
But we don’t just need any old evidence. If we are to be sure…
A high-level mission of United Nations experts has reviewed the plans and preparations for the upcoming census of Turkmenistan, due to take place on 17-27 December 2022. Working alongside the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan, the delegation— a multi-agency team consisting of experts from…
New multilateralism, focused on creating synergies between local, national, regional and global efforts, combined with practical, forward-looking solutions are needed to address the pressing challenges facing cities across the globe, including the coronavirus pandemic, rapid urbanization, and…
There is overwhelming evidence that we need robust management and traceability for the sustainable and circular supply and use of climate-critical raw materials. Calls are increasing for the production of raw materials to embrace circularity. Demand for batteries and other low carbon technologies…
As guests of the planet, we human beings can thrive only if our host environment is thriving. We are strongly connected to it, more than we probably understand and more than we probably dare to admit.
Conversely, the ways humans treat the environment has clear negative effects on our health and…
The residential sector is one of the major consumers of energy in many countries. In Armenia, for example, it accounts for 33% of total energy use. Rising fuel prices will bring substantial affordability challenges for low-income customers to heat their homes. According to UNECE research, at least…