In order to establish globally recognized baselines based on a life cycle approach and frame a common language for the performance assessment of energy efficient & low carbon buildings, the UNEP-SBCI Partnership created the Sustainable Buildings Steering Committee in 2010. The committee’s mission is to deliver the a Reporting Protocol; providing common understanding of the core issues, measuring tools, and verification process for sustainable buildings.

The Steering Committee is focusing on developing a reporting protocol that addresses the following aspects of a buildings’ impact:

• Energy Efficiency & GHG Emissions
  
• Water
  
• Materials (consumption, scarcity, life-cycle and waste generation)
  
• Biodiversity
  
• Social Issues (Indoor Environment)
  
• Economic Considerations
  

The UNEP-SBCI Partnership initially identified climate change as a priority issue and thus, work to date has focused on the issues of building energy efficiency and GHG emissions. Thus, the first Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) established to support the Sustainable Buildings Steering Committee was the Energy & GHG TAC. At the 2011 AGM however, the UNEP-SBCI Partnership voted to expand and move beyond the climate change priority and establish Materials and Water TACs.

Sustainable Buildings Steering Committee