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Work Programme

This Programme of Work defines the specific focus and tasks of SBCI from April 2006 until the next annual SBCI meeting in March 2007. It was adopted during SBCI annual meeting in March 2006.

SBCI focus areas for 2006 / 2007

Under its overall objectives SBCI will identify each year specific focus areas, in which clear goals are defined. The main part of SBCI activities will be carried out to support these goals. In addition, any number of additional projects/activities can be proposed and accepted they fit the general objectives of SBCI and SBCI has the capacity to undertake them.

SBCI is proposed to concentrate on two Focus Areas each year. For the programme of work 2006/07 the first Focus Area has been pre-defined as:

Focus 1 - Qualify buildings and construction activities as eligible activities for support under the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto protocol.
In particular:

1. Identify barriers to including buildings and construction activities as eligible activities under the flexible mechanisms.
2. Identify requirements for overcoming these barriers
3. Develop tools, methodologies, and projects necessary to achieve the above requirements.

As a second Focus Area, the SBCI secretariate proposes (based on recommendations from the launching meeting of SBCI, organized on 21 February 2006 in Paris):

Focus 2 - 2. Develop and promote economic incentives for a life cycle approach (LCA) in design, construction and financing of buildings, so as to create market conditions favourable to buildings that are optimized from a life cycle perspective.

1. a. Identify existing public sector finance mechanisms that stimulate and increase investment in sustainable buildings, both in the design and operation phases.
2. Evaluate the impact these mechanisms have had on mobilizing investment in sustainable buildings, particularly where these have leveraged private sector investment
3. Explore if and how successful mechanisms can be adapted and replicated in other national and local contexts.

An additional/alternative Focus Area proposed by the SBCI launching meeting is:

• Identify and promote best practices for design, building, maintenance, renovation and demolition of buildings, with the aim to promote a worldwide baseline for the concept of "sustainable building".

The SBCI membership may decide to replace focus area 2 (economic incentives for a life cycle approach) with this, or any other focus area. Alternatively, the SBCI membership may opt to define the "best practices" focus area as a priority for SBCI in 2007.

Activities under focus areas and partnerships

Focus Area 1: Qualify buildings and construction activities as eligible activities for support under the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto protocol

Activity 1
Conduct a review and compilation of available materials on:

• state of the art of factors affecting the energy efficiency in buildings;
• barriers and opportunities for including the built environment as an eligible "activity" under the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms;
• the major needs and recommendations for interventions by different stakeholders, in order to achieve a wider uptake of energy efficiency opportunities in the design, construction, use, recycling and demolition of buildings

Activity 2
Establish a Think Tank (Think Tank Climate Change) to provide peer review to the above study, verify results, and to elaborate conclusions and recommendations.

Activity 3
Establish a Working Group (Working Group Climate Change) to develop tools/approaches/pilot projects responding to the recommendations from the Think Tank. A potential project area is baseline methodology development for housing projects under the Kyoto Protocol flexible mechanisms. A potential partner and pilot project has been identified in the proposed prototype carbon fund project for sustainable housing in Algeria, proposed by Greentech Eco-housing.

Focus Area 2: Develop and promote economic incentives for a life cycle approach (LCA) in design, construction and financing of buildings, so as to create market conditions favourable to buildings that are optimized from a life cycle perspective

Activity 4
Support the establishment of a global network of experts on investment strategies for sustainable buildings and construction, by:

• Establishing a partnership on information sharing and coordination with the Working Group on Responsible Property Investment under UNEP Finance Initiatives (UNEP FI);
• Identifying global experts in the area of financing for sustainable buildings and initiate a global dialogue, in partnership with the Sustainable Management of Housing & Real Estate at the Department of Economics and Business Engineering of the University Karlsruhe, Germany. As part of this dialogue support the Workshop on Investment Strategies and Financial Products for a Sustainable Future under the "Rethinking Sustainable Construction 2006 Conference", in Sarasota, Florida, 18 September 2006

Activity 5
Initiate the project "Public finance mechanisms to increase energy efficiency in buildings". This project will directly contribute to the work of Think Tank Economic Incentives, but with a specific focus on energy efficiency. Please refer to separate information sheet.

Activity 6
Establish the Think Tank on economic incentives for a LCA to buildings and construction activities (Think Tank Economic Incentives), with the purpose to:

• Identify existing public sector finance mechanisms that stimulate and increase investment in energy efficiency in buildings, both in the design and operation phases
• evaluate the impact these mechanisms have had on mobilizing energy efficiency investment, particularly where these have leveraged private sector investment
• explore if and how successful mechanisms can be adapted and replicated in other national and local contexts
• identify one or more opportunities where an approach with good prospects could be modified and implemented with partners in a developing country.

Partnerships

The SBCI membership may establish and engage in any number of partnerships as defined in the SBCI charter. Each partnership should be linked to specific and substantive activities contributing to the objectives of SBCI. The SBCI secretariate proposes the following partnerships to be recognized immediately:

• The Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Construction, to support Focus Area 1, especially Activity 1.
• The Working Group on Responsible Property Investment under UNEP Finance Initiatives, to support Focus Area 2, especially Activity 4.
• The International Union of Architects. Under this partnership the following activity will be implemented:

Activity 7
Develop a hands-on manual for sustainable reconstruction in areas damaged by the SE Asia Tsunami in December 2004. This is an activity directly responding to requests from governments in the area. This seed activity may generate a larger project activity on sustainable buildings in accident prone areas worldwide

Activities under SBCI operation and output

SBCI meetings & events

SBCI will normally have two meetings per year; the annual meeting in March, and the SBCI workshop in September. The annual meeting reviews the SBCI progress, revises the work programme, approves the budget, elect the SBCI board members. The annual meeting is also an occasion for presenting and debating the output from SBCI Think Tanks, Working Groups and Partnerships. The SBCI Workshops in September is focussing on the work of Think Tanks, Working Groups and partners. SBCI Board meetings will be organized in conjunction with both the March and September meetings. Both the annual meeting and the workshops are normally open for the public. In 2006/07 the following SBCI meetings are planned:

Activity 8
SBCI founding meeting and first SBCI Board meeting

Activity 9
SBCI Workshops 2006 and the second SBCI Board meeting. The purpose is to publicly present and discuss findings and recommendations from SBCI activities, in particular in Focus Area 1. The exact format of the workshops will be elaborated by the SBCI secretariate under the guidance of the SBCI Board. The location for the meetings have been chosen partly because China is a key growth market for buildings and construction activities, partly because the SBCI member, Broad Air Conditioning has kindly offered to host the meeting and provide meeting facilities for free.

Activity 10
SBCI annual meeting. Location to be decided.

Outreach and consultations

During the year, the SBCI secretariate and selected SBCI members will undertake missions to participate in meetings and events to promote and provide input from SBCI, to engage new SBCI members and partners, or to otherwise undertake activities supporting SBCI. The SBCI secretariate will compile a list of such potential events and will invite SBCI members to act as SBCI ambassadors at such events.

Activity 11
Outreach missions, consultations and participation in key event for SBCI secretariate and SBCI members. Assume 10 missions/events in 2006. Specific missions/events to be identified by the SBCI secretariate or proposed by SBCI members. The SBCI secretariate will; compile a list of proposed missions/events to be approved by the SBCI Board.

SBCI communications

Activity 12
Launching and updating of the SBCI website. Initial design and set-up to be supported by consultant. Content, updating and maintenance to be handled by the SBCI secretariate.

Activity 13
Editing and printing of SBCI Strategic reports (think Tank output - 2 reports per year, 750 copies each), and SBCI Tools & Strategies briefings (Working Group output - 1 report this period, 750 copies), and SBCI promotional materials (folder - 2000 copies).

SBCI secretariate

Activity 14
Initiation, coordination, monitoring and reporting on SBCI activities. Budget management. Outreach to new members. Expert support to SBCI Think Tanks, Working Groups, Partnerships etc. Administration and communication etc.