Every year on World Habitat Day, we are encouraged to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and how we can improve them. We are also called upon to remember that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape their future.
For this year’s World Habitat Day on 8 October the UNECE will celebrate the day by calling upon all of us to live in, "Greener and smarter homes," through an exhibit on the energy efficiency of different buildings. The exhibit will be on display at the Palais des Nations until 10 October and provides examples of cost- and energy-efficient technologies that can contribute to greener and smarter homes at three levels:
Building level: with information on the Strategic Heritage Plan for the renovation of the Palais des Nations and how it improves the building’s energy efficiency.
Municipal level: with a demonstration of energy-efficient technologies from Services Industriels de Genève (SIG), which service the canton of Geneva, as well as from Energy Cities, the European association of local authorities in energy transition.
Regional level: with reports on the activities of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management and case studies from member States taken from the publication Good Practices for Energy-Efficient Housing in the UNECE Region.
The UNECE is encouraging policymakers at all levels to move the promotion of energy efficiency in buildings up on their agendas. According to the International Energy Agency, buildings represent 32% of total final energy consumption and 40% of primary energy consumption in most IEA countries. Increasing energy efficiency is the most effective measure for reducing energy demand and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the benefits of improving energy efficiency also stimulate economic development, higher industrial productivity and bring improved health and well-being.
According to the UNECE survey, “Challenges and priorities in Housing and Land Management in the UNECE Region” (2013), achieving energy efficiency in housing remains a major challenge as well as a priority for the countries in the UNECE region.
The UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management has developed an Action Plan for Energy-Efficient Housing in the UNECE Region, which provides a comprehensive list of possible measures to remove barriers to energy efficiency and move towards a low-energy and, ultimately, zero-energy and carbon-neutral housing sector. It has also published two practical guides: Green Homes: Towards Energy Efficient Housing and Good Practices for Energy-Efficient Housing in the UNECE Region. Building upon this work, the UNECE also assists member States to develop national action plans and organize workshops, events and exhibitions on energy efficiency and housing management.
Following the presentation of the energy-efficiency exhibition on 8 October, and to reinforce its message, the UNECE will provide a more in-depth discussion on best practices for energy efficient housing on 9 October as a part of the 75th session of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management.
For more information, please contact:
Gulnara Roll
Head, Housing and Land Management Unit
Economic Cooperation, Trade, and Land Management Division
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +41 (0)22 917 22 57