Transport by inland waterway is an increasingly attractive transport option because it is a cost-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly mode of transport. 27,913 km of European inland waterways have been recognized by governments as significant under the framework of the 1996 European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN).
TheUNECE Energy Weekfeatures the 18th Session of the Committee on Sustainable Energy (18-20 November), including an Energy Security Dialogue: Impact of the Financial Crisis on Energy Industries.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with the support of the Government of Sweden, jointly organized a workshop on the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Water and International Lakes (Water Convention).
The seventh ?Environment for Europe? Ministerial Conference to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in autumn 2011 will address two main themes: the Sustainable Management of Water and Water-related Ecosystems and Greening the Economy: Mainstreaming the Environment into Economic Development.
Green building is a solution to mitigation of climate change. Energy efficient construction for new buildings, and renovation of existing buildings, can reduce the 40-50% of energy used for space and water heating in buildings. However ,if current inefficient building practices continue, buildings could account for 70% of CO2 emissions by 2050. Life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon-focused, building rating systems are ?material neutral? but a green building assessment schemes without a scientific LCA basis underestimate the carbon intensity issue. Some countries have green building rating systems, and other countries are considering establishing them, but existing green building rating systems lack a LCA basis.
There is a key role to play for the forest sector in the transition towards a greener economy and a more sustainable society. This was the overriding consensus of the Policy Forum on ?The Forest sector in the green economy? organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held on 15 October 2009 in Geneva involving participants from Governments, Industry, Trade associations, and academics from Europe, North America, Central Asia and China.
In association with the Customs Committee and Association of Customs Brokers of Kazakhstan, UNECE organized a conference on 15-16 October in Almaty to promote public-private cooperation for trade facilitation and the Single Window in Central Asia ? a region where traders across newly introduced international borders are regarded primarily as potential smugglers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States of America?s Department of Labor published on 30 September a draft rule to modify its existing Hazard Communication Standards (HCS) to conform to the United Nations? Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The proposed rule is based on the third revised edition of the GHS, which was published in June 2009.
At its annual market discussions conducted in Geneva on 13-14 October 2009, the UNECE Timber Committee forecast an upturn in most wood products market sectors in 2010. However, experts concluded that it is far too early to speak about a recovery. The Committee adopted an official market statement with forecasts for each market sector.
The Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the UNECE Aarhus Convention, adopted in May 2003 in Kiev enters into force on 8 October 2009. The Protocol will help identify the biggest polluters in communities across Europe, including those spewing greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change.
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