Omadoy Arabboeva is one of 8.5 million children, who live in Uzbekistan. Children make up over 30% of population and are future assets of the country. This fact shows huge demand to education and healthcare services and sets high requirements to social objects. Uzbekistan implements complex of wide-scale programmes on construction and reconstruction of public buildings, including schools, colleges, kindergartens, hospitals and sport complexes.

Children like Omadoy received education and healthcare services at comfortable conditions, the buildings should also be ecologically clean. UNDP, State Committee of Uzbekistan on architecture and construction and Global Environmental Fund implement a project “Promoting Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Uzbekistan”, which helps to improve energy efficiency in public buildings.

Important goal of the project is to raise energy efficiency at old and new public buildings. This is achieved by various methods, including review national construction norms and rules, develop system of energy management and building certification, improve potential of local cadres, spread of information, demonstration of integrated approach to building design and use of new technologies.

At the same time, number and quality of existing social objects does not meet modern requirements of energy efficiency. It is well known that half of consumed energy and about 40% of carbonic acid gas in Uzbekistan fell to share of buildings. So, construction of energy effective buildings, including social objects, is important priority for Uzbekistan on the way towards “green economy”.

Muhammadshokir Holhodjaev, national coordinator of the project from State Committee on architecture and construction of Uzbekistan, said that construction of energy efficient buildings is common task of architects, designers and builders, which will decrease energy consumption and decrease emission of greenhouses in Uzbekistan. He said that Uzbekistan plans to raise requirements and standards on energy efficiency at building constructions.

It is worth to mention that the Government of Uzbekistan approved reviewed construction norms and rules in June 2011. These changes require decrease of heating energy consumption by 25-50% both to new and reconstructed buildings. Implementation of new rules and standards were also supported in national strategy on improvement of potential, regulated by special department at the State Committee on architecture and construction of Uzbekistan.

UNDP project and its partners completed construction of two new schools in Andijan and Navoi regions, as well as carried out capital repair of schools in Karakalpakstan, Kashkadarya and Ferghana regions. Two rural medical points in Tashkent and Navoi region were also reconstructed. At construction of these objects, the project demonstrated all opportunities of innovative solutions on increasing energy efficiency of buildings, which will allow to save energy by 31 in new and 67% in reconstructed buildings.

Youth should play active role in promotion of “green economy”. It is worth to mention that Omadoy, pupil of school in Andijan region, feel herself as part of the process. She said that now pupil can explain that the school will save up to 5,000 cubic meters of gas a year and cut emission of 10,000 kg of carbonic acid gas a year.