The draft Action Plan for Energy Efficient Housing in the UNECE region

1. Climate neutral homes: Challenges and solutions to increase energy efficiency in housing Networking Event, World Urban Forum 5, Rio de Janeiro, 24 March 2010 The draft Action Plan for Energy Efficient Housing in the UNECE region Ariel IvanierAssociate Economic Affairs OfficerUNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management

2. Background EEH as an opportunity for: Energy Security Environment Economic development Social conditions Built environment

3. Purpose Action Plan A framework programme for UNECE Member States General aims: • Create necessary institutional conditions to remove barriers for energy efficiency in housing • Ensure progressive transformation towards zero-energy and zero-carbon and yet affordable housing sector Definition of improved EE in housing: Reduced energy intensities in the residential services without compromising the levels of wellbeing of people.

4. Eight elements of improved EE in housing: Systems Existing homes New-built homes Utility systems Housing management systems Appliances and lighting systems plus Practices Min carbon footprint for the housing sector Environmentally-friendly building practices Housing energy affordability

5. The proposed structure of the Action Plan 3 Policy Areas 12 Goals (Strategies) 48 Targets Actions Visions 2020 Shaping the Future

6. 3 policy areas 12 goals/strategies vision 2020 Incentives and capacities to close “energy efficiency gap” Policy Area I Energy efficiency governance & financial infrastructure Policy Area II Energy performance standards & technology integration Zero-energy zero-carbon homes & pathway to carbon-neutral cities Policy Area III Access to energy efficiency & public housing Inclusive energy efficiency, affordable warmth in homes, energy-aware culture

7. Policy area I Energy efficiency governance and financial infrastructure Управление энергоэффективностью и финансовая инфраструктура

8. Policy Area I Incentives and capacities to close “energy efficiency gap” Policy Area I Energy efficiency governance & financial infrastructure Policy Area II Energy performance standards & technology integration Zero-energy zero-carbon homes & pathway to carbon-neutral cities Policy Area III Access to energy efficiency & public housing Inclusive energy efficiency, affordable warmth in homes, energy-aware culture

9. Goal 1. Organisation leadership, energy planning Poor coordination and monitoring, weak governance, low priority for housing EE • Framework laws on energy efficiency • Designate special national and local bodies responsible for EEH • Build statistical indicators and databases • Systems of planning for energy resources and demand • Dedicated and effective government leadership. • Housing is visible in the policy agenda. • Energy balances are well monitored and planned.

10. Goal 2. Financial incentives High transaction costs, lack of finance, lack of incentives, short-termism • Public subsidies and low-interest loans • Tax incentives (e.g. for new homes built to higher standards than building codes, for existing homes converted to new homes standards) • Tax on inefficiency (i.e. property tax) • Systematised info portals about incentives • EE practices within financial organisations • Strong incentives and capabilities to invest in EE housing. • Energy efficiency gap is closed.

11. Goal 3. Housing management and maintenance Unclear responsibilities, lack of skills, split incentives • Institutional capacities for housing management (homeowners laws, loan taking, tenant rights) • Professionalizing housing management (competitive market for HM, training programmes, technical assistance) • Public programmes for retrofitting (special programmes for comprehensive retrofitting of low quality and low efficient housing stock) • Clear responsibilities • Strong incentives and institutional capacities.

12. Goal 4. Utility services and energy pricing Wasteful energy practices, disincentives, wrong price signals, lack of incentives for on-site generation • Technological capacities for sustainable energy management in housing (e.g. smart meters, bi-directional flows of electricity, new home are required to have integrated control systems) • Adequate energy pricing system (e.g. progressive tariff systems, differentiated tariff system, feed-in tariffs and subsidies for on-site generation) • Incentives to providers of energy services (e.g. obligations to be informative, obligations for energy saving measures and renewable initiatives, white certificates, ESCOs) • Intelligent energy grids. • Renewable generation, considerable portion of which is generated in domestic buildings (networked energy production)

13. Policy area II Energy performance standards and technology integration Энергостандарты и внедрение технологий

14. Policy Area II Incentives and capacities to close “energy efficiency gap” Policy Area I Energy efficiency governance & financial infrastructure Zero-energy zero-carbon homes & pathway to carbon-neutral cities Policy Area II Energy performance standards & technology integration Policy Area III Access to energy efficiency & public housing Inclusive energy efficiency, affordable warmth in homes, energy-aware culture

15. Goal 5. Energy performance requirements in homebuilding and existing housing (!) Market barriers to built extensively to high energy standards • Mandatory energy and carbon performance standards (e.g. differentiated building codes; full lifecycle of energy and carbon performance; net zero-energy standards by 2020) • Mandatory certification (mass energy assessment in the medium term) • Energy performance standards for existing buildings (advisory role first, then mandatory; establish date by which existing buildings to be renovated to ZES) • EE as condition for budget-assisted projects • All new homes are made to zero-energy zero-carbon standards, 2020 • Low efficiency buildings are retrofitted or demolished

16. Goal 6. Low-energy and low-carbon technology. Market barriers for EE technology • Promote low-energy, zero-energy and carbon-neutral building solutions (national targets, subject to climatic zones) • Renewable energy promoted (e.g. in the longer run mandatory regulations for new and renovated houses) • Low energy lighting and appliance standards • At least 10% of the UNECE population live in zero-energy zero-carbon homes by 2020 • Micro-generation by homes is a significant contributor to total energy production.

17. Goal 7. Spatial planning, development control, district heating and cooling systems A lack of more comprehensive consideration of the impact of development projects • Integrated residential EE in planning process and development control • Develop demand-based district heating and cooling systems • Communities are on their way to become carbon-neutral

18. Goal 8. Research innovations and best practices. Market barriers for EE technology, technological backwardness • Support research, development and demonstration (e.g. national competitions targets, assistance to R&D in new technologies) • Stimulate the development of affordable local solutions. • Support commercialization of R&D • Affordable low-energy technologies. • Deployment of EE technologies. • Next generation technologies, technological breakthrough.

19. Policy area III Access to energy efficiency and public housing Доступность энергоэффективности и бюджетныйжилой фонд

20. Policy Area III Incentives and capacities to close “energy efficiency gap” Policy Area I Energy efficiency governance & financial infrastructure Policy Area II Energy performance standards & technology integration Zero-energy zero-carbon homes & pathway to carbon-neutral cities Inclusive energy efficiency, affordable warmth in homes, energy-aware culture Policy Area III Access to energy efficiency & public housing

21. Goal 9. Public/social housing sector. Constitutes a considerable portion of the housing stock, which is crucial for housing affordability, without having implememented EE upgrades. • Special EE policies for public housing • Comprehensive retrofitting programmes for public housing. • Conditions for public housing to have better EE performance than other housing sectors Zero-energy retrofit eventually • Public housing is at the forefront of the EE transformation.

22. Goal 10. Energy affordability and social integration. A considerable portion of the population live in energy poverty • Integration with social policy. • Eradicate energy poverty. (subsidies; gradually replaced by generous assistance to improve EE). • Ensure that low-income groups are not negatively affected by higher efficiency standards. • Eradicate energy poverty. • EE solutions are affordable for the majority of people.

23. Goal 11. Awareness and capacity-building. Lack of knowledge, information, awareness, skills. • Make EE more visible for consumers. (energy ratings, informative bills) • Campaigns (different media) • Local energy centres and demonstration projects. • Educational programmes. • Housing energy-efficiency is part of the everyday practice and business relations. • Energy-aware culture.

24. Goal 12. Geographic access to EE housing. Uneven geographical development nationally and internationally, energy inefficiency traps plus indifference towards climatic conditions. • Adjust policy to specific climatic conditions. (specific local conditions, special funds). • Anticipate the regional effects of climate change. (subsidies and grants; in the longer run replaced by assistance to improve EE). • Better diffusion of EE technologies across sub-national areas. • International cooperation. • Balanced geographical development of energy efficient housing.

25. UNECE Member States

26. 3 policy areas, 12 goals/strategies Vision 2020 Incentives and capacities to close “energy efficiency gap” Policy Area I Energy efficiency governance & financial infrastructure Policy Area II Energy performance standards & technology integration Zero-energy zero-carbon homes & pathway to carbon-neutral cities Policy Area III Access to energy efficiency & public housing Inclusive energy efficiency, affordable warmth in homes, energy-aware culture

27. Challenges and opportunities for the UNECE Action Plan • No binding status for the Member Government. • But can be comprehensive and ambitious as a “proper action plan” to inform and guide Member States through the transformation towards low-energy yet affordable housing. • Suggestions and discussion?

28. Thank you! Action Plan: www.unece.org/hlm Contact Ariel Ivanier Ariel.ivanier@unece.org