Reports and Studies
Guidelines on Education Policy for Sustainable Built Environments -2010
The Guidelines for Education Policy for Sustainable Built Environments provide a synthesis of sustainability education for key stakeholders in the built environment. They set out a suite of policy priorities, learning aims, strategies and case-study curricula that can provide a basis for education and capacity building supporting design, construction and management of sustainable buildings and settlements.
Common Carbon Metric -Protocol for Measuring Energy Use and Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Building Operations- Version for pilot testing- 2010
Proposal to provide globally applicable common metrics for measuring and reporting the energy use in and GHG emissions from existing building operations to support international, regional, national, and local policy development and industry initiatives.
Buildings and Climate Change: a Summary for Decision-Makers- 2009
If governments exclude the building sector from their emission targets and fail to encourage more energy-efficient and low-carbon buildings they will not only lock countries into the disadvantages of poor performing buildings for decades, but the will fail to meet emission reduction targets. This summary highlights the potential of more efficient buildings in addressing climate change.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Baselines and Reduction Potentials from Buildings in Mexico - 2009
This report accompanies the Buildings and Climate Change- Summary for Decision Makers. UNEP-SBCI has commissioned the compilation of regional reports that quantify the influence of buildings on climate change in selected regions. This report represents the first comprehensive description of the factors that determine the present and future impacts of residential and commercial buildings in México on climate change.
The ‘State of Play’ of Sustainable Buildings in India- 2010
India has one of the fastest growing construction sectors in the world. This rapid growth presents opportunities for improving the living conditions and livelihoods of millions of people, but the environmental pressures of increased demand for resources coupled with a rapidly changing climate must be addressed. This report provides representative examples of the range of sustainable building activity in India. The report explains the state of sustainable buildings and construction in India including best practices, successes, barriers and recommendations for further implementation towards mitigation of climate change impacts and a transition to more sustainable built environments.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Baselines and Reduction Potentials from Buildings in South Africa- 2009
This report accompanies the Buildings and Climate Change- Summary for Decision Makers. UNEP-SBCI has commissioned the compilation of regional reports that quantify the influence of buildings on climate change in selected regions. This South African report has been undertaken in collaboration with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).
Common Carbon Metric for Measuring Energy Use and Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Building Operations- 2009
Leading experts from around the world have, through extensive international cooperation, developed a universal method of measuring a building’s carbon footprint. Supported by the United Nations Environment Program, this new ‘Common Carbon Metric’ will allow emissions from buildings around the world to be consistently assessed and compared, and improvements measured.
UNEP-SBCI Buildings & Climate Change: Call to Action 2009
We encourage your organization to download and consider supporting 'The Call'. Our global network of stakeholders has chosen to support this important document. SBCI has held a side-event at the UNFCCC negotiation meetings in Bonn in early June 2009 to launch the Call. This call is part of the advocacy documents we have prepared for meetings with country delegations throughout the year.
This is your chance to have your voice heard in Copenhagen! Contact the Secretariat (sbci@unep.org) to support the Call!
Official Submission of UNEP-SBCI to the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA)- 2009
On 24th April our official UNEP SBCI submission to UNFCCC's Additional Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) was officially dispatched. This submission functions as a place holder for texts to be developed under the Copenhagen Agreement in relation to the building sector. It is directly aligned with the draft Call for Action and essentially builds on the work of SBCI over the past three years.
UNEP-SBCI proposes that emission reduction in buildings is recognized as an appropriate area for NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action) and that the development of frameworks required to monitor, report and verify such actions are included in a post-2012 Agreement.
Official Submission of UNEP-SBCI to the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Countries under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP)- 2009
One of the UNEP-SBCI’s key objectives is to ensure that Parties to the Kyoto Protocol have the information needed to promote energy efficiency improvements in buildings. SBCI conducted research and investigated the current CDM project development environment in the building sector. The results of this research were published as a UNEP report in December 2008 (the UNEP-SBCI CDM report). The main findings and recommendations of the report are further summarized for this submission. UNEP-SBCI is well placed to facilitate and support the implementation of a number of these recommendations.
The Kyoto Protocol, the CDM & The Buildings & Construction Industry- 2008
Despite the obvious need and opportunities for reducing energy consumption in buildings, the potential remains largely untapped in most countries. Out of more than 3,000 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the pipeline (as of May 2008) only six seek to reduce energy demand in buildings.
In addition, within the six projects, only one is today generating Certified Emission Reduction credits (CERs). Thus CDM is apparently not having any impact on this sector, which has been identified as offering the greatest potential for greenhouse gas emission reductions. This study has identified main reasons for this situation and makes recommendations to enable Energy Efficient Building Projects to be better supported under the CDM
The Kyoto Protocol, the CDM & The Buildings & Construction Industry- 2008
On 24th April our official UNEP SBCI submission to UNFCCC's Additional Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) was officially dispatched. This submission functions as a place holder for texts to be developed under the Copenhagen Agreement in relation to the building sector. It is directly aligned with the draft Call for Action and essentially builds on the work of SBCI over the past three years.
UNEP-SBCI proposes that emission reduction in buildings is recognized as an appropriate area for NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action) and that the development of frameworks required to monitor, report and verify such actions are included in a post-2012 Agreement.
The Kyoto Protocol, the CDM & The Buildings & Construction Industry- 2008
On 24th April our official UNEP SBCI submission to UNFCCC's Additional Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) was officially dispatched. This submission functions as a place holder for texts to be developed under the Copenhagen Agreement in relation to the building sector. It is directly aligned with the draft Call for Action and essentially builds on the work of SBCI over the past three years.
UNEP-SBCI proposes that emission reduction in buildings is recognized as an appropriate area for NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action) and that the development of frameworks required to monitor, report and verify such actions are included in a post-2012 Agreement.
Buildings & Climate Change- 2007
Worldwide, 30-40% of all primary energy is used in buildings. While in high- and middle-income countries this is mostly achieved with fossil fuels, biomass is still the dominant energy source in low-income regions. In different ways, both patterns of energy consumption are environmentally intensive, contributing to global warming. Without proper policy interventions and technological improvements, these patterns are not expected to change in the near future.
On the global level, knowledge regarding the energy use of building stocks is still lagging be-hind. Generally speaking, the residential sector accounts for the major part of the energy consumed in buildings; in developing countries the share can be over 90%. Nevertheless, the energy consumption in non-residential buildings, such as offices and public buildings and hospitals, is also significant.
The building sector has a considerable potential for positive change, to become more efficient in terms of resource use, less environmentally intensive and more profitable. Sustainable buildings can also be used as a mitigating opportunity for greenhouse gas emissions under the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol and should be considered as a key issue for the post Kyoto period.
Assessment of Policy Instruments for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Buildings- 2007
Buildings contribute on average to 30% of energy use in society causing similar levels of associated greenhouse gas emissions.
There are many proven ways to reduce the energy use in new and existing buildings but experience shows that this will not happen without intervention from policy makers. This study presents the qualitative and quantitative experiences from different kinds of policy tools applied in countries all around the world. The study reviews 20 different tools into four main categories: Regulatory and control instruments; Economic and market based instruments; Fiscal instruments and incentives; and Support, information and voluntary action.
This report provides an assessment and summary of their effect in terms of efficiency, effect on emission reduction, cost effectiveness and lessons learned. This study also includes a database presented in 34 tables with detailed data provided on each instrument applied in each country. Based on the database, an analysis with recommendations is provided.
Also available: Brochure with a summary of conclusions and recommendations!
After the tsunami Sustainable building guidelines for SE Asia- 2007
After the tsunami Sustainable building guidelines for SE Asia- 2007
The Tsunami disaster of 26 December 2004 affected a dozen Indian Ocean countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Maldives, Malaysia and Myanmar,with a death toll reportedly exceeding 250,000 and millions of more left homeless. Survivors found shelter in temporary barracks and tents. Since then, there has been a pressing need to provide survivors with adequate permanent housing.
In the aftermath of the disaster, numerous agencies have responded by reconstructing houses and infrastructure. Project managers, however, are often overwhelmed not only by the magnitude of required activities but also by the extent of challenges related to reconstruction.
One of the main challenges is to ensure conceptually sound, robust and practical reconstruction solutions that will minimise the environmental impact. This manual addresses that challenge by providing project managers with guidance in various aspects of sustainable reconstruction, including planning, design, materials, implementation, and maintenance
