News Analysis

UNEP Launches Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative

Recognizing the role of construction in the global economy and planetary ecology, in February 2006 the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) launched the Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative (SBCI). Part of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics (DTIE), SBCI will establish global baselines for green building, develop tools and strategies to help companies meet those baselines, promote and support the adoption of those green building tools and strategies, and implement pilot projects in both developed and developing countries. The building sector employs over 100 million people worldwide, according to SBCI, and contributes about 10% of global gross domestic product.

The SBCI board will initially consist of one representative from each founding member and one from UNEP; the ten founding members include international construction heavyweights Lafarge, Skanska, and Arcelor. A think tank, to include SBCI members and invited experts, will recommend action on specific green building topics, and working groups will develop tools and strategies in response to recommendations from the think tank.

Published April 3, 2006

Boehland, J. (2006, April 3). UNEP Launches Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/news-analysis/unep-launches-sustainable-building-and-construction-initiative