Best Policy Practices

Best Policy Practices
A Clearinghouse of Ideas
User’s guide
Of all energy, almost 40% is consumed in buildings. Transport
takes some 20% and industry the rest. You can argue the
accuracy of the figures, but taken as a whole, the use and
maintenance of buildings (heating, cooling, lighting, equipment)
is the single biggest consumer of energy. It is shocking
to see how much energy is spent on cooling and lighting
alone. – The proportions may differ from one country and
continent to the other, but the main message remains the
same: buildings can be an energy and climate hazard – or one
of the solutions in combating climate change.
The best way to learn is from one’s peers: government
to government, city to city. We can borrow and steal inspiring
practices, processes and policies from our colleagues. This is
the simple purpose of this publication, which is meant to be
the kernel of an open clearinghouse in the future.
Best Policy Practices – why not simply best practices?
We are focussing on the potential of the public sector now,
even if we are acutely aware of the vast range of stakeholders
involved in the process of constructing the built environment.
The public sector has several roles: it can regulate, give
guidelines, collect taxes, set an example as a client and user,
finance and subsidize housing and renovation, and invest in
research and development – among other things.
The mini-cases – some very short, others with a bit more
information and links – have been grouped under twelve headlines,
each essential from our point of view, even if many of the
stories would fit into several:
1. New construction
2. Housing
3. Refurbishment of existing buildings
4. Energy savings and energy efficiency
5. Renewable energy sources
6. National and federal policies, practices and programmes
7. Local policies
8. Public procurement
9. Research and development
10. Building certification systems
For more information, see link …
Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Buildings and Construction
– who are we?