The event featured representatives of key media outlets and experts in order to reveal key findings and results of the “Green buildings in Uzbekistan: technologies, legal framework and incentives” Policy brief, developed by the Center for Economic Research with the assistance of UNDP/GEF "Promoting Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Uzbekistan" project.

Green building (also known as Green construction or Sustainable building) refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the design team, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.

In light of growing energy shortages, intensifying international competition over hydrocarbons, rising prices for fossil energy resources and mounting environmental problems, economic growth has to follow new paths that are significantly more energy-efficient than in the past. If we consider that one-third of global energy end use takes place within buildings, raising the energy efficiency of buildings is becoming one of the main areas of construction industry development during the past few decades.

In Uzbekistan buildings account for half of total energy consumption (17 million tonnes of oil equivalent a year). Due to the use of outdated building codes and standards, obsolete heat-insulation materials and inadequate engineering designs, energy consumption in buildings is 2-2.5 times as high in Uzbekistan as in foreign countries.

According to the expert estimates, the introduction of “green” buildings will make it possible to save more than 8 million tons of oil equivalents. This means that the total annual benefit from employing “greening” strategies for buildings could amount to $2.115 billion.

Current losses from excessive energy consumption as well as the large energy-saving potential in the construction sector show how essential it is to “go green” and improve the energy efficiency of buildings in Uzbekistan.

It is important to note that investments in improved energy efficiency in buildings could also generate 15,000 “green” jobs by 2020 and up to 120,000 jobs by 2050. Benefits could also be obtained from the development of associated industries, expansion of the production of equipment and materials for “green” construction and job creation in those sectors.

The key problem inhibiting progress towards “green” buildings and improvement in energy efficiency is the lack of incentives and effective mechanisms for introduction and wide application of “green” construction principles. In particular, the present energy management system, as well as the obsolete codes, standards and approaches used for construction of buildings, do not provide incentives to improve energy efficiency and thus result in excessive energy use and substantial greenhouse gas emissions.

All these directions were deeply analyzed during the Briefing. In particular, such factors as losses of energy due to the lack of thermal insulation, shortcomings in hot water systems, ventilation, illumination and use of electrical appliances, as well as inadequate use of renewable energy in buildings, prevent increasing of energy efficiency in buildings.

Moreover, there is a significant difference in the existing norms and standards for energy consumption in buildings used in Uzbekistan compared to such in the world. It is necessary to streamline the regulation and monitoring of compliance with energy standards. As part of the promotion of energy consumers to save energy in buildings, experts suggest improvement of tariff policy, accompanied by additional measures to ensure the availability of energy for low-income groups the poor.