Modernizing Building Energy Codes to Secure our Global Energy Future (Webinar)

The Clean Energy Solutions Center, in partnership with the International Energy Agency, hosted this webinar reporting on the newly released publication, Modernizing Building Energy Codes to Secure our Global Energy Future.
Buildings are the largest consumers of energy worldwide and will continue to be a source of increasing energy demand in the future. Globally, the sector’s final energy consumption doubled between 1971 and 2010 to reach 2 794 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), driven primarily by population increase and economic growth. Under current policies, the global energy demand of buildings is projected by the IEA experts to grow by an additional 838 Mtoe by 2035 compared to 2010.
The challenges of the projected increase of energy consumption due to the built environment vary by country. In IEA member countries, much of the future buildings stock is already in place, and so the main challenge is to renovate existing buildings stock. In non-IEA countries, more than half of the buildings stock needed by 2050 has yet to be built.
The IEA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered to analyze current practices in the design and implementation of building energy codes. The aim is to consolidate existing efforts and to encourage more attention to the role of the built environment in a low-carbon and climate-resilient world.
This joint IEA-UNDP Policy Pathway aims to share lessons learned between IEA member countries and non-IEA countries. The objective is to spread best practices, limit pressures on global energy supply, improve energy security, and contribute to environmental sustainability.
Part of the IEA Policy Pathway series, Modernizing Building Energy Codes to Secure our Global Energy Future sets out key steps in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The Policy Pathway series aims to help policymakers implement the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations endorsed by IEA Ministers (2011).
Panelists
DIDIER HOUSSIN, DIRECTOR, DIRECTORATE OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA), PARIS
Didier Houssin became Director of Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology at the International Energy Agency on 1 December 2012. Previously, he served for five years as Director of Energy Markets and Security. Before joining the International Energy Agency, Mr. Houssin, a French national, was Managing Director of BRGM, the French Geological Survey. Prior to joining BRGM, Mr. Houssin was the former Director of Energy and Mineral Resources in the French Ministry of Economy between 1997 and 2004. He also held several positions in the industry (Total) the French Ministry of Industry dealing with financial and European affairs. Mr. Houssin graduated from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration and has a Masters in International Law. He also has Degrees in Philosophy from Université de Paris 1 – La Sorbonne and in Political Science from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris.
DR. YAMINA SAHEB, HEAD OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS CENTRE, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA), PARIS
Yamina SAHEB has 13 years of experience in buildings and appliances energy efficiency. She joined the International Energy Agency as the senior buildings expert in the Energy Efficiency and Environment Division in February 2011, where she heads the Sustainable Buildings Centre. This role includes conducting research and analysis on the use of policy instruments to reduce energy consumption in the buildings sector. Prior to joining the IEA, she worked as an energy efficiency analyst for IFRI (Institut Francais des Relations Internationales). Previously, she worked as the Technical Director for CLASP (Collaborative Appliances Standard and Labeling program) and as the head of the Technical Department for Eurovent (HVAC manufacturers’ organisation in the EU). Yamina holds a Ph.D in Energy Engineering and an Engineering degree in Buildings.
BENOIT LEBOT, TECHNICAL ADVISOR ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP), DAKAR
Benoit Lebot is a Climate Change Technical Advisor since 2004. He provides technical leadership on UNDP activities to address Climate Change in developing countries, currently in sub-Sahara Africa. Most of his work focuses on climate change Mitigation and in particular on Energy Efficient Policies. He promotes and reinforces the UNDP portfolio on Climate Change mitigation projects with specific focus on public policies and legal, fiscal and technical measures on the energy demand-side. Benoit Lebot was previously with the IEA (1997-2003) and ADEME, the French National Energy and Environment Agency (1990-1997). Benoit Lebot is a Civil Engineer from France’s National School of Public Works (1986). He also holds a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California in Berkeley (1987).
MARINA OLSHANSKAYA, REGIONAL TECHNICAL ADVISOR ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION FOR EUROPE AND CIS UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP), BRATISLAVA
Marina Olshanskaya is responsible for a portfolio of GEF-funded projects on sustainable energy use and transport across the region. Over the last 15 years in UNDP, Mrs. Olshanskaya has worked on the design and implementation of several clean energy policies and programmes with a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency in public, municipal and residential sectors. She is overseeing implementation of a program on promoting building energy efficiency in Central Asia which supports energy efficient buildings codes, energy passports, and demonstration of energy efficient building design in public and residential construction. She has also been working with corporate and government partners to help leverage carbon finance for clean energy projects in municipal and oil and gas sectors with UNDP’s MDG Carbon Facility. Ms. Olshanskaya holds a Master of Environmental Science and Policy from Central European University, Budapest, and a Master of Economic Sciences from the Moscow State Lomonosov University.
MARCEL ALERS, GLOBAL HEAD OF ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND TECHNOLOGY TEAM, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP), NY
Marcel Alers is UNDP’s global Head of the Energy, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology team. Marcel is an experienced development professional with 26 years of experience in environmental management. He has a broad range of expertise and experience. He first joined UNDP in 1999, focusing on GEF funded project development and developed a significant portfolio of climate change mitigation projects. Since 2005 he has been overseeing UNDP’s global Climate Change Mitigation portfolio and he is the Manager of the MDG Carbon Facility, UNDP’s carbon finance initiative. He is now also leading UNDP’s programming in the area of sustainable energy. Prior to joining UNDP, Marcel worked as a senior environmental specialist at the African Development Bank with a special focus on energy and infrastructure. Before that he managed several sustainable forest and protected area management projects in Cote d’Ivoire and in several Central African countries. He has working field experience in more than 40 countries worldwide.