Sustainable Buildings and Construction (led by Finland)

The Task Force supports the development of local and national policies to secure the sustainability of construction, use and maintenance of the built environment.

The priority is: How can public policies and legislation promote energy efficiency, energy savings, energy equity and an increased use of renewable energy in the built environment?

Main highlights include:

• Publishing a Newsletter four times annually to report on the work of the Task Force and to link up with parallel initiatives. See www.environment.fi/sbc
  
  
• Publishing best policy practices - Buildings for a Better Future (PDF - 338 KB)
  
  
• Discussing the definition and indicators of Sustainable Construction. in its workshops and papers. The Task Force is working on a checklist for decision-makers not familiar with challenges and opportunities for sustainable buildings and construction.
  
  
• Organizing workshops and seminars. As examples, see the presentations in side events during climate negotiations in Bali (2007), Poznan (2008) and Bonn (2009) on www.environment.fi/sbc. During the climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009 the MTF SBC is planning to organize a side event of the COP15. The program would focus on the potential of local and national policy tools to help exploit the enormous CO2 reduction potential of existing buildings and new construction.
  

So far, the Task Force has reported on energy use and GHG emissions in construction & buildings and published in cooperation with one of its key partners, UNEP's Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative (SBCI), the baseline report Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities.

Link:

All publications are available at the Task Force website:
http://www.environment.fi/sbc

Contact persons:

Ms Kaarin Taipale (taipale[at]hse.fi), Chair and Coordinator of the Task Force
Ms. Tita Korvenoja (tita.korvenoja[at]ymparisto.fi), Senior Adviser, Ministry of the Environment of Finland