[Project] The GBPN joins the UNEP-SBCI

In January 2013, the GBPN became a proud member of the UNEP – Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI).

The United Nation’s Environment Programme’s Sustainable Building and Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI) is a partnership of major public and private sector stakeholders in the building sector, working to promote sustainable building policies and practices worldwide.

Established in 2006, the UNEP-SBCI strives to present a common voice for building sector stakeholders on buildings energy efficiency and performance, as well as climate change. UNEP- SBCI has developed a common platform for discussing and reaching consensus on buildings and climate change issues.

In anticipation that the text of a global climate change protocol recognizes the importance of buildings tackling climate change, the UNEP-SBCI members, partners and supporters commit to taking specific measures to help reduce GHG emissions of the building sector.

To achieve its mission and promote the global adoption of energy-efficient buildings and construction practices, the UNEP-SBCI has four main goals:

• Provide a common platform for dialogue and collective action
• Develop tools and strategies for achieving greater acceptance and adoption of building energy-efficient policies and best practices worldwide
• Establish baselines, which are globally recognized and based on a life-cycle approach, with an initial focus on energy efficiency and GHG emissions, and expanding to include additional indicators such as materials and water
• Demonstrate through pilot projects and inform policy developments of the important role buildings have to play in mitigation and adaption to climate change at local, national, and global levels.

Being a partner of the UNEP-SBCI brings the GBPN the opportunity to build stronger collaborations with global experts, participate in major international publications and events and inform UNEP-SBCI goals, and therefore contribute to the development and implementation of innovative regional policy-packages on buildings energy efficiency and performance that can help deliver the global mitigation potential of the building sector.