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Infrastructure projects are crucial for sustainable development, impacting not just economies but also communities and the environment. The tangible benefits they bring to people's lives can have a transformative effect and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However,…
The raw materials sector is at the forefront of global challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, as it plays a vital role in the energy, transport, and digital transitions required to mitigate and adapt to climate change. However, the sector also faces significant pressures from consumers,…
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require a massive transformation of our economies and societies, and a shift towards more sustainable patterns of production and consumption. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are a powerful tool to support this transformation, as they can mobilise private…
The Government of Ukraine is committed to rebuilding its infrastructure with a focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pursuing a resilient, inclusive and sustainable recovery.   However, the reconstruction and recovery needs of Ukraine are enormous and were estimated by…
Infrastructure is crucial for social and economic development. To achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, infrastructure needs to be green, climate resilient, circular, inclusive and fiscally sustainable, with people as the main beneficiaries. Infrastructure is also needed to rebuild…
UNECE and partners are working together to support North Macedonia in its green energy transition by building capacities to finance energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) projects.  To this end, UNECE and UNDP organized two training sessions on design and verification of energy…
As countries seek to rapidly decarbonize their economies, investing in energy efficiency and the improved performance of buildings offers significant near term gains. Available measures can help transform the building and construction sector, which today is responsible for approximately 40% of…
Turkmenistan has made significant progress in increasing the share of the non-state sector in its GDP (excluding fuel and energy), which reached 71.1% in 2022. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are considered by Turkmenistan as an important tool to further advance the implementation of the SDGs…
The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of the world's largest and most diverse reserves of minerals, energy, water, and biomass. The region accounts for around 70% of global mining production and consumption, including most of the world's bauxite, copper, iron, nickel, silver, tin, and zinc.  …
Sustainable and climate finance needs in Central Asia are considerable, with an estimated 38 billion US dollars per year up to 2030. On the other hand, the total foreign direct investment flows in the region in 2022 amounted to 10 billion US dollars. The infrastructure finance gap is therefore huge…
Since 2009 when Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) were introduced in Kyrgyzstan, 66 projects have been implemented in the country, providing access to critical public services to more than 1 million citizens. These PPP projects are the driving forces of the economic and social development in…
The Republic of Moldova is almost entirely dependent on energy imports as it has no domestic sources of fossil fuels and makes only limited use of its renewable energy potential. At the same time, the energy intensity in the country is 3.4 times higher than the average energy intensity in the…
UNECE and partners have started implementation of a multi-year project on “Improving the energy efficiency of the global building supply chain industry and its products to deliver high performance buildings” (full project budget EUR 19.8 million), funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI…
The Norwegian Government has issued a Mineral Strategy which necessitates the Geological Survey of Norway to produce an inventory aligned with the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC).  UNFC will be crucial in this strategy as it will be used to classify mineral resources…
While underground coal mining in Albania stopped almost wholly (except for two private mines with a very insignificant output) more than 15 years ago, the abandonment of the mines from the 1990s onwards with no proper plans for closure has left a legacy of risks. These include water contamination,…
The world is facing multiple global crises and the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is fast approaching. More and faster investment in sustainable infrastructure that supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is therefore needed. Public-Private…
Representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan met at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to discuss ways to unlock the resource potential and promote a sustainable future in Central Asia. The meeting was part of the UNECE Resource Management Week 2023…
Significant energy price increases arising from the war in Ukraine are having a negative impact on food production capabilities and costs in Georgia, especially in rural areas. This threatens to weaken the competitiveness of producers and increase their vulnerability to poverty. Reducing energy…
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…
A dilemma has galvanised the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and infrastructure community for some time: How to ensure the bankability of pipelines of sustainable projects in emerging economies. PPP lenders and debt-providers continue to argue that there are not enough bankable projects to…
Armenia has been a pioneer in the use of the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) model in the Caucasus to improve its infrastructure and public services. In 2000, nine years since its independence, it concluded its first wave of water concession agreements for the provision of drinking water and…
Kyrgyzstan has been one of the pioneers of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Central Asia, with the introduction of a PPP model in its legal and regulatory framework since 2009, and the most recent PPP legislation enacted in 2021. On the back of this PPP experience, the Government has launched…
Addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate disruption, pollution and nature loss, requires an innovative approach to financing as a way to rapidly and systemically address these interlinked issues. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) offers a financing mechanisms for infrastructure projects…
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,…
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…