23 November 2009: The International Forum on Energy Efficiency in Housing, under the aegis of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), is taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 23-25 November 2009, to consider a draft action plan for improving buildings’ energy efficiency performance in the UNECE region.
During the forum, experts from the region are to identify goals, priority actions and timeframes with regard to institutional, legal, financial and other measures to remove barriers to energy efficiency and facilitate the move towards zero-energy and zero-carbon housing. The action plan, to be adopted by relevant ministers at a high-level segment of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management in September 2010, is expected to contribute to climate change mitigation, overall economic growth, research and innovation, business development, employment generation and investment.[Forum Programme][UNECE Press Release]