Sustainable Buildings and Construction (SBC)

As the building and construction sector has a significant impact, both in positive and negative terms, on society and environment, UNEP considers it as a key sector for sustainable development. This sector represents over 111 million people directly employed worldwide and at the time responsible for the built environment contribution to global environmental issues such as water use (20%), energy use (25-40%), solid waste generation (30-40%), global greenhouse gas emission (30-40%) in each country. The situation in the areas of key concern, like production of construction materials, use and recycling, consumption of hazardous materials, integration of buildings with other infrastructure and social systems, has not passed unnoticed. The building and construction sector is increasingly under pressure from authorities and the public to address environmental and social issues. In response to these demands UNEP is working on the development of baselines for the sector to contribute to developing a common and well-understood approach, through the implementation of the pilot projects and interactions with other stakeholders (public, governmental, financial and international).
SBC Forum 2002-2004

Mainstreaming Sustainable Buildings and Construction (SBC) in Asia

In recent years, various countries throughout Asia Pacific have enjoyed tremendous growth in their building and construction industries. In light of the current construction boom, UNEP implemented a EU-funded project titled "SBC Conferences in Asia" aimed at fostering Asian-led and Asian-owned action agendas for mainstreaming SBC practices, methods, policies and market mechanisms in the building and construction sector.

For more information: http://sbc.unep.fr

Within the project UNEP assisted in carrying out:

• SBC studies illustrating the state-of-the-art in SBC, elaborating on elements such as needs, barriers and actions to mainstream SBC both in Asia and Europe;
  
  
• Two Sustainable Building regional conferences (in Chine and Malaysia), a multi-stakeholder event for exchanging research ideas and information on SBC practices;
  
  
• Cross-learning seminars in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai to exchange information between EU and Asia, and build network for post-conference partnerships.
  
  

Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative (SBCI)

SBCI is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Building and Construction sector. SBCI aims at providing a platform for global co-operation towards sustainable building and construction practices worldwide.
At the end of 2006 we had about 30 members from 15 countries, representing all the different stakeholder groups along the life span of buildings.

The focus of SBCI is on global and sector crosscutting issues. Two areas are of immediate priority for SBCI:

• To ensure that building and construction activities are recognised by the Kyoto Protocol, and that such activities are eligible for financial support from the Protocol.
  
  
• To identify and establish financial mechanisms that will encourage builders to take a life cycle approach when designing and constructing buildings, so as to minimize the energy consumption over the entire building's lifespan.

SBCI adopts each year a work programme that is implemented through the SBCI secretariat hosted by UNEP. Members support activities financially and by direct involvement in activities. SBCI delivers through the work of specialized Think Tanks, pilot projects policy consultations and outreach events.

For more information: http://www.unepsbci.org

Property Working Group (PWG) under UNEP Finance Initiative

UNEP SBC Initiative closely interlinked with Property Working Group (PWG) operating under UNEP Finance Initiative aimed to encourage property investment and management practices that achieve the best possible environmental, social and financial goals, as consistent with fiduciary responsibilities. The project focuses on Governance and Outreach Awareness-raising and Responsible Property Investment (RPI) through:

• Awareness-raising of the importance of Responsible Property Investment (RPI), within the whole investment chain, especially with fund managers;
  
  
• Outreach to tenant companies, linking to the tenants the cost of inefficient energy usage and a building's carbon footprint;
  
  
• Making the financial case for RPI: best practice with demonstrated high financial return. Make connection between financial gain and sustainable property investment and management.

For more information: http://www.unepfi.org