A real gold mine of information

Young volunteers for the environment from the Climate and Development Network (Réseau Climat & Développement) have come up with a document listing more than 200 information sites on economic, social and environmental issues. While the names of the various sites are in French the web address frequently uses the English name so it’s easy to … Continue reading A real gold mine of information →

New energy efficiency organisation launches in the UK

A new not-for-profit organisation the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Buildings (EEPB) has been launched in the UK. It replaces the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, which traditionally did a lot of work with local authorities, housing associations and charities, particularly in regards to fuel poverty. The EEPB’s objectives include the development of industry-agreed solutions to barriers … Continue reading New energy efficiency organisation launches in the UK →

All the world’s a stage but efficiency, efficiency, wherefore art thou . . .

This is an interesting article from The Stage website in the UK showing that the size of a theatre has no bearing on its efficiency. The organisation referred to in the article, Julie’s Bicycle, makes environmental sustainability intrinsic to the business, art and ethics of music, theatre and the creative industries. Research finds energy efficiency … Continue reading All the world’s a stage but efficiency, efficiency, wherefore art thou . . . →

New report on industrial energy management

The International Energy Agency (IEA), in partnership with the Institute for Industrial Productivity (IIP), has published “Energy Management Programmes for Industry: Gaining Through Saving.” This report is part of IEA’s Policy Pathway publication series detailing implementation of the “IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations.” The report is available on the IEA website. The document details proposals … Continue reading New report on industrial energy management →

Employment impacts from retrofitting Poland’s buildings

Central European University in Budapest has just published Employment Impacts of a Large-Scale Deep Building Energy Retrofit Programme in Poland. The report was funded by the European Climate Foundation. The research demonstrates that up to 84% of energy used to heat Polish buildings, and corresponding CO 2 emissions – can be avoided by a wide-spread … Continue reading Employment impacts from retrofitting Poland’s buildings →

China making significant progress in building energy code compliance

A new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Global Buildings Performance Network, published mid March, shows that compliance on building codes in China has been steadily improving since 2005. "The significant improvement is rooted in strong governmental regulatory support; clear rules about the responsibilities of key stakeholders and penalties for … Continue reading China making significant progress in building energy code compliance →

Draft Energy Efficiency Directive Passes Major Hurdle

As widely reported in the press this week, the European Parliamentary Committee responsible for energy matters voted 31 to 22 to start negotiations with the EU Council on the final legislation. It follows months of work on the draft directive, which has already been amended 1,800 times. Key to the proposed legislation is a binding … Continue reading Draft Energy Efficiency Directive Passes Major Hurdle →

Focus on industrial energy efficiency

After slumbering for many years, it is back, moving up the policy agenda. Improvement of energy efficiency in industry was a focus of attention after the oil crises of the 1970s because it could be done quickly. There was a lot of progress, with a combination of monitoring (actually counting energy consumption in a factory), … Continue reading Focus on industrial energy efficiency →

Légion d’Honneur

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has named Dr. Hélène Connor, founder and chairman of HELIO International, a recipient of the 2012 Légion d'Honneur in recognition of her four decades of visionary work in promoting environmental protection, sustainable energy and participatory governance. Hélène and I worked together for more than 12 years and she has been one … Continue reading Légion d’Honneur →