Nairobi, 31 March 2011
- The Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ban Ki-moon has officially opened the new
offices of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements
Programme (UN-HABITAT) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mr. Ban was joined by His Excellency Mr.
Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of
Kenya, to unveil the energy-neutral offices
on the Gigiri compound, which have set a
new benchmark for sustainable buildings
in sub-Saharan Africa.
"This building
is beautiful, comfortable and efficient.
But more than any of that, this building
is a living model of our sustainable future,"
said Mr. Ban at the opening ceremony.
"If our growing
population is going to survive on this planet,
we need smart designs that maximize resources,
minimize waste and serve people and communities.
This facility embodies the new, Green Economy
that can usher in a cleaner future, create
jobs and spur economic growth," he
added.
The building sector
is the single largest contributor to global
greenhouse gas emissions with one third
of energy use taking place in offices and
homes. Moreover, building-related CO2 emissions
are set to rise from 8.6 billion tones in
2004 to 11.1 billion tones in 2020.
It was with these challenges
in mind that the United Nations set out
in 2009 to design a new headquarters for
UNEP and UN-HABITAT that would maximize
sustainability without compromising the
quality of the working environment of the
1,200 employees.
From the 6,000 square
metres of shimmering solar panels to the
environmentally-friendly paint on the walls,
the new UN offices boast myriad environmental
features, while capitalising on the natural
benefits of Nairobi's climate.
The facility shows how
sustainable buildings can make a vital contribution
towards tackling climate change as well
as the transition towards a low-carbon,
resource-efficient Green Economy.
The new offices are
"energy neutral", which means
the building generates as much power (via
renewable sources) as it consumes over the
year. Energy consumption is estimated at
42.5 kWh per square metre each year, which
ranks highly among green buildings worldwide.
This is achieved through the following environmental
features:
Solar Panels
The energy generated
by the building comes from the 6,000 square
metres of solar panels that line the roof,
basking in the almost year-round sunshine
of Kenya's capital city.
The photovoltaic panels
convert the sun's rays into power that runs
the computers, lights, cafeterias and other
features of the building. Excess power produced
can be used by other buildings on the UN
compound. The United Nations Office at Nairobi
(UNON) estimates that the money invested
in the solar panels will be repaid through
lower energy bills in around seven to ten
years.
Heating and ventilation
Nairobi is often described
as having a near-perfect climate, with daytime
temperatures typically in the mid-20s Celsius
and cooler evenings. With good design, buildings
in this climate can do without heating or
cooling apparatus ? typically the biggest
source of energy use. The simple design
of the new UN offices means the building
acts as a chimney, where warm air is drawn
up from ground level and through office
areas, before escaping beneath the sides
of the vaulted roof. This natural ventilation
system ensures comfortable internal temperatures
while cutting energy consumption.
Water
Nairobi, like many cities
in the developing world, is experiencing
a growing water crisis due to a fast-growing
urban population. Water-saving taps and
lavatories in the new offices will reduce
water consumption, while rainwater collected
on the roof is used to irrigate landscaped
areas. No freshwater will be required to
irrigate plants and grass areas.
Lighting
A central atrium running
through the three-storey building makes
maximum use of natural light. Additionally,
each office area features a translucent
roof panel made of toughened glass, which
enables natural light to penetrate right
down to the ground floor.
The new building also
uses low-energy bulbs and presence detection
controllers, which can yield savings of
up to 70 percent on lighting costs.
Other features
By using notebook computers
instead of desktop PCs, electricity use
can be reduced by around a third. The building's
1,200 staff members walk on 100 percent
recyclable carpet and environmentally-friendly
paint coats the office walls. The landscaped
areas surrounding the building have been
planted with indigenous trees.
Greener buildings: A
key component of the Green Economy
Buildings are one of
ten sectors covered in UNEP's Green Economy
Report, which was launched in February 2011.
The report shows how redirecting 2 percent
of global GDP into a green transformation
of agriculture, energy, buildings and other
areas can trigger growth and create more
jobs than a 'business as usual scenario',
while kick-starting a transition towards
a low-carbon, resource-efficient global
economy.
Cities will see a rapid
expansion and increasing investment over
the next decades, particularly in emerging
economies. In India alone, an estimated
700-900 million square metres of residential
and commercial space will have to be constructed
each year until 2030 to accommodate this
growth.
As part of efforts to
make cities and other communities more sustainable,
the impact of buildings is vital. The Green
Economy Report shows how greening the building
sector can also contribute to increased
efficiency in the use of materials, land
and water, and a reduction of waste and
risks associated with hazardous substances.
Particularly for developing countries, the
sector holds a huge potential to reduce
indoor air pollution associated with 11%
of human deaths globally each year. For
developed economies, a major retrofit programme
could boost employment significantly
Greener buildings can
also achieve significant savings. Modelling
undertaken for the Green Economy Report
indicates that investments ranging from
US$ 300 billion-US$1 trllion per year up
to 2050 can achieve energy savings of about
one-third in the building sector worldwide
compared to projections under "business
as usual".
UNEP's Climate Neutral
Strategy
UNEP, which has been
climate neutral since 2008, became the first
UN organization to publish an Emission Reduction
Strategy last year, as part of the overall
United Nations Climate Neutral Strategy.
UNEP's key aims are as follows:
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions as far as
possible through adoption of sustainable
management practices, and by procuring offsets
to compensate for the remaining emissions.
Reduce total greenhouse
gas emissions by 3% per year during 2010,
2011 and 2012, compared to 2009 levels
Aim for continuous improvement
in sustainability performance and develop
an environmental management system to support
this.
Monitor, manage and
report on its climate and sustainability
performance on an annual basis.
Implementing the efficiency
measures outlined in UNEP's Emissions Reduction
Strategy could save the organisation an
estimated US$800,000 per year.
+ More
UNEP engineer honoured
for contribution to Sudan water sector
Khartoum, 30 March 2011
- A distinguished engineer working with
the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), Dr Hamid Omer Ali, has been honoured
for his lifetime contribution to the water
sector in Sudan.
Dr Hamid Omer, a Senior
Water Resource consultant with UNEP, was
presented with two awards by the Minister
of Public Education, Dr Farah Mustafa, at
a World Water Day event in Khartoum.
He received an Appreciation
Certificate from the International Hydrological
Program and a recognition award from the
UNESCO National Committee, which staged
the event,
Before joining UNEP,
Dr Hamid Omer worked for the Rural Water
Corporation in Darfur for 13 years, initially
as a hydro-geologist and geophysicist and
later as its Director-General. More recently
he worked on the design of water supply
systems in Nyala and El Fasher towns in
Darfur for the Darfur Reconstruction and
Development Fund.
For the past four years,
Dr Hamid Omer has been at the forefront
of cooperative efforts by UNEP to further
sound management practices, research and
government policy to promote sustainable
and equitable water resource management
in Sudan.
He was part of the UNEP
team which worked with the Groundwater and
Waddies Department to identify locations
at risk of acute groundwater depletion in
camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs)
in Darfur. Dr Hamid Omer also helped broker
a US$12 million investment by UKaid in urban
water management in Darfur and supported
the development of drought contingency planning
in the region.
Speaking at the World
Water Day event, UNEP Programme Coordinator,
Brendan Bromwich, said Dr Hamid Omer had
helped draw attention to the need for improved
urban planning and greater investment in
water and environmental services and infrastructure
in the face of rapid urbanization.
"Urbanisation is
transforming Sudan as we know it, and while
the scale of the challenge to meet communities'
changing needs is enormous, with capable
engineers and scientists of the calibre
of Dr Hamid Omer, there is much that can
be done," said Mr Bromwich.
"It's been a great
honour for me to work with Dr Hamid Omer
over the past four years and I am delighted
to see his work formally recognized,"
he added.
Sudan's Minister of
Irrigation and Water Resources, Dr Salaheldin
Yousif, and the UNESCO Country Director,
Ibrahim Sidibi, were also among the 300
participants at the event.
Integrated Water Resources
Management is a major theme of UNEP's work
in Sudan and is supported by UKaid from
the Department for International Development.
