BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY (April 4, 2017)— Five new cities and districts have committed to improve their buildings by adopting new policies, demonstration projects and tracking progress against their goals. The cities join the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA), a public-private collaboration that now includes over 35 global organizations and 28 cities in 18 countries. Buildings account for one-third of global energy demand and over one-quarter of global GHG emissions. The announcement was made at the 3rd Sustainable Energy for All Forum held in Brooklyn, New York City.

The cities and districts joining the BEA are Kisii County, Kenya; Merida, Mexico; Nairobi City County, Kenya; Pasig City, Philippines; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. World Resources Institute leads the BEA, convening businesses, NGOs and multilateral development organizations to support local governments in implementing policies and programs that make their buildings more efficient. Supporting these new members are ICLEI, the India Green Building Council, the Kenya Green Building Society, Pasig and WRI Mexico.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank under the leadership of Rachel Kyte, with three goals: doubling the global share of renewable energy, doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvement and ensuring access to modern energy services for all people by 2030. To support SEforALL’s efficiency goal, the BEA engages cities, identifies emerging needs and develops new projects for improving buildings.

Global building energy demand can be reduced by one-third by 2050 using commercially available technologies and today's best practice. In emerging markets, investments in green buildings offer enormous potential: $16 trillion by 2030 in East Asia and the Pacific alone, according to the IFC. But coordination and action is needed to capitalize on the opportunity. At the SEforALL Forum, a BEA workshop with cities and investors explored how cities can prepare projects for private sector investments.

The BEA launched its China activities at an event in Beijing on March 22, 2017 with representatives from cities in China, Malaysia and Mongolia.

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Mr. Batbold.S, Governor of Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar:

“Mongolia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change due to its geographic location and severe weather conditions. Heavy dependence on fossil fuels, with less than 5% of the country’s electricity being derived from renewable sources, are key challenges we need to address. Energy in Mongolia is expected to quadruple by 2030 due to population growth, rural to urban migration and economic growth. To pursue a green economy with economic growth, social inclusiveness and environmental sustainability, Ulaanbaatar city gives a pioneering role to the buildings sector in the green transition. This year, Ulaanbaatar city aims to implement thermal retrofitting and green building projects with the private sector. Ulaanbaatar city’s participation in BEA platform will enable us to share technical knowledge and adopt best practices.”

Rachel Kyte, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Energy for All and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All:

“Buildings account for one-third of global energy use and with cities growing rapidly, there’s an urgent need for partnerships that help cities and citizens use energy better.”

Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy Program, World Resources Institute:

“Today's city leaders need strategies that create more productive economies and improve urban livelihoods without pollution – even as cities grow and urban residents seek higher standards of living. People want schools, homes, and offices that are healthy and comfortable without the burden of high energy costs due to inefficiency. Prioritizing efficiency in buildings can save money and reduce pollution. Our new Building Efficiency Accelerator partners are signaling their intent to avoid the lock-in of decades of inefficient development.”