 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sustainable Urban Energy Planning handbook launched for cities in developing countries
2010/03/30
UN-Habitat, in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability –Africa, have launched a sustainable energy planning handbook for local governments in the developing world.
The energy handbook, titled ‘Sustainable Urban Energy Planning: A handbook for cities and towns in developing countries’ is available to download from the UN Habitat and ICLEI websites.
Kobie Brand, Regional Director of ICLEI Africa, said: “We are delighted to offer this tool to local governments which they can download, free of charge. The handbook will assist local governments in developing sustainable energy and climate action plans and implementation programmes.”
The handbook was officially launched at the UN-Habitat’s 5th World Urban Forum held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last week. The launch took place as part of the ‘Promoting Energy Efficiency in Buildings in Developing Countries’ session, conducted by UN-Habitat’s Chief Urban Energy Section Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vincent Kitio.
The Sustainable Urban Energy Planning handbook follows a ten-step process towards developing and implementing a sustainable energy plan, illustrated by relevant case studies. A range of case studies from developed and developing urban centres, covering all the major areas of local governments’ responsibilities and activities including city-wide planning, transport, service provision and environmental planning, are featured. The handbook also provides an extensive list of support organisations and resources.
The handbook discusses the threats and challenges of the global energy and climate crisis on developing countries. These countries need to address the increasing energy demand of growing economies as well as energy poverty issues brought on by disparities in income. There is also the real and potential threat of climate change. Developing nations therefore cannot follow the example set by developed countries, they need to find low energy, low carbon and resource efficient solutions.
Local governments, as managers of all city activities with direct access to citizens, are key in determining the energy and carbon emissions picture of their cities. “The use of energy, the types of energy used and the lack of access to sufficient energy have far reaching implications for a city’s economic development, its environmental health and for the poor. Cities which implement sustainable energy and climate action plans reduce their vulnerability to energy scarcity and to energy price rises, they have less traffic congestion and lower energy input costs, they have cleaner air and their low-carbon economies can afford them a competitive economic edge globally.” (quote from the Sustainable Urban Energy Planning: A handbook for cities and towns in developing countries’)
Download the Sustainable Urban Energy Planning: A handbook for cities and towns in developing countries’ Handbook, here.
Or download if from the UN-Habitat website here.