Global Assurance Group To Advance Mandate Of The Energy Efficiency In Buildings (EEB) Project

The EEB project, an initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), announced today the formation of the EEB Assurance Group chaired by Klaus Töpfer, former United Nations Undersecretary General and former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The group is composed of renowned environmental experts who have had experience working in business, government and the world of academia. Their mission is to validate the research and conclusions of the overall EEB project.

The EEB project was announced in March 2006 and envisions a world where buildings consume zero net energy - generating as much energy as they consume. This three-year project will develop a roadmap for transforming market structures and practices throughout the building industry, from finance and design to operation, in order to achieve this vision. The EEB includes both residential and commercial buildings and focuses on Brazil, China, Europe, Japan, India, and the U.S.

“Climate change is one of the most important issues facing us today and business, government and NGOs must join forces to achieve solutions for this very serious problem,” said Klaus Töpfer. “I have accepted the chairmanship of the EEB Assurance Group because I support the project’s vision to achieve energy efficient and sustainable buildings worldwide and strongly believe that I can help this group of companies make this happen,” he continued.

The Assurance Group ensures the project’s legitimacy and objectivity and will serve as its strategic advisor, reviewing its initiatives and reports. Furthermore, the group is charged with validating that the EEB project maintains a high level of integrity, independence and accountability.

“Buildings already use about a third of the world’s energy and if projected trends continue, by 2050, buildings will consume almost as much energy as industry and transport combined,” stated Project Director Christian Kornevall, underlining the need for urgent action. “Klaus Töpfer is widely recognized as having spearheaded environmental policy as Minister of the Environment in Germany and introduced ground-breaking environmental regulations. It is an honor to have him chair the Assurance Group, which is composed of many world famous minds in the environmental and sustainability field,” he continued.

In addition to Mr. Töpfer, the Assurance Group is composed of:

- Hon. Eileen Claussen (USA), President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and Strategies for the Global Environment. Ms. Claussen is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and served for three years as a Special Assistant to the President and Director for Global Environmental Affairs at the National Security Council.

- Vivian Ellen Loftness (USA), Professor and Head of the School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University, and Senior Researcher at the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics. Ms. Loftness has served on five National Academy of Science panels, and her work has influenced both national policy and building projects, including the Adaptable Workplace Lab at the US General Services Administration and the Laboratory for Cognition at Electricité de France.

- Thomas Johansson (Sweden), Professor of Energy Systems Analysis and Director of the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIEE) at the University of Lund, Sweden and Senior Advisor on Energy and Climate Change to the United Nations Development Programme (UNEP).

- Shin-ichi Tanabe (Japan), Professor in the Department of Architecture at the Waseda University. His current project within the Department of Architecture includes a study on thermal comfort requirements and on indoor air quality of buildings. Dr. Tanabe has been a visiting scholar across the world, including the Technical University of Denmark’s International Center for Indoor Environment and Energy and the University of California, Berkley’s Center for Environmental Design Research.

- Jiang Yi (China), Vice Dean of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is the first researcher in China to apply computer simulation technology into building and HVAC systems and has been playing a fundamental role in many Chinese national energy saving research projects for buildings.

The EEB project is co-chaired by Lafarge and United Technologies Corporation. It also includes leading companies in the building, equipment and energy industries, such as Cemex, DuPont, EDF Group, Gaz de France, Kansai Electric Power Company, Philips, Sonae Sierra and Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Notes to the Editor

About the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The WBCSD brings together 180 international companies in a shared commitment to sustainable development through economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. Its mission is to provide business leadership as a catalyst for change toward sustainable development, and to support the business license to operate, innovate and grow in a world increasingly shaped by sustainable development issues. The members are drawn from more than 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. It also benefits from a global network of 50+ national and regional business councils and partner organizations.

About Lafarge
Lafarge (NYSE:LR, Euronext:LG), headquartered in Paris, France, is the world leader in building materials including cement, aggregates, gypsum and roofing. The company employs 80,000 people in 76 countries and posted sales of € 16 billion in 2005. It is the only construction materials company to be listed on the 2006 “100 Global Most Sustainable Corporations in the World."

About United Technologies Corp.
United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), based in Hartford, Conn., USA, is a diversified company that provides high technology products and services to the aerospace and commercial building industries worldwide. The company is a Dow Jones Industrial company that reported $ 43 billion in 2005 revenues. UTC employs approximately 220,000 people worldwide.

More information is available at www.wbcsd.org/web/eeb and the EEB blog at www.eeb-blog.org

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of some 175 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development, i.e. environmental protection, social equity and economic growth.

Lloyd Timberlake
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Communications Director
Tel: +41 (22) 839 3100
E-mail: timberlake@wbcsd.org

This release was published on openPR.