Affordable and Clean Energy

This study identifies and assesses existing and potential Palestinian oil and natural gas reserves that could be exploited for the benefit of the Palestinian people that Israel is either preventing them from exploiting or is exploiting itself without due regard to international law.

The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is a global classification and management system applicable to mineral, petroleum, nuclear fuel, renewable energy and anthropogenic resources, as well as injection projects for geological storage. Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), managing energy and raw material resources in a sustainable manner has become paramount to all stakeholders including governments, industry, investors and communities. This updated version of UNFC is intended to satisfy the requirements of different resource sectors and applications, as well as making it fully aligned to the sustainable resource management called for by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The key changes, including the normalization of the text, make UNFC applicable for all resources.

This publication aims to identify existing barriers to energy efficiency policy implementation and to provide recommendations to policymakers for reforms that can support market formation and foster favourable climate for investments in energy efficiency. It develops a benchmark that should serve as a reference point for policymakers and energy experts working in the field of energy efficiency. This benchmark is a synthesis of policy incentives that should be in place in order to stimulate and ensure successful energy efficiency policy outcomes. The desired policies are divided into three groups: 1) legal, institutional and regulatory; 2) economic and financial; and 3) socio-political. A set of these policies in place at a sufficient degree in a particular country is a basis for successful formulation and implementation of energy efficiency policies and related projects.

This publication includes a set of 14 case studies on the application of the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) to geothermal energy from Australia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines and Russian Federation. The case studies presented here illustrate the application of the geothermal energy specifications for the uniform use of UNFC in different contexts. These application examples from different countries provide a range of scenarios in the classification of geothermal resources in a manner consistent with the classification of other energy resources.

This module highlights the utilization of Renewable energy (RE) to strengthen Water-Energy nexus. It addresses the utilization of RE commercialized technologies to improve water security by providing the power needed by water-related activities such as water distribution and wastewater treatment. Along the same lines, RE technologies can strengthen energy security and diversify national energy mix by providing energy sources that are less water intensive, availing modern energy services in the rural/remote areas, reducing dependence on fossil fuels sources of energy; hence contributing to the mitigation of greenhouse gases emission (GHG). These benefits are of much significance for the Arab countries in terms of the contribution to meet their growing demand on water and energy needs on one side and to realize sustainable development plans from the other side.

This Publication discusses the resource efficiency related technologies and the RE technologies from the perspective of Technology Transfer. This publication also identifies the issues associated with water and energy considerations when pursuing the transfer of new technologies that have an impact on the water-energy nexus within the regional context. As a result, this publication aims to assist the Arab countries in the process of building the capacity for exchange and collaboration across industrial sectors and various other establishments based on a common language and a set of assessment tools for pursuing the TT associated with RE and resource efficiency at the operational level, such as during investment planning or the operation and maintenance of water and energy utilities, oil and gas operation, or irrigation schemes.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regional Global Tracking Framework report is part of a series of multi-agency assessments that monitor progress towards the three Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) objectives. This first edition of the report builds upon the 2017 Global Tracking Framework report, by tracking the indicators of each SDG 7 objective within the UNECE sub-regions. The report then goes further to identify the current status of sustainable energy across a broader set of energy indicators, identifies key issues along the energy value chain, and highlights UNECE country responses to initiate change. The report further argues that this broader set of energy indicators is required to comprehensively track energy for sustainable development.

This is the second edition of the Best Policy Practices for Promoting Energy Efficiency publication prepared in the framework of the United Nations Development Account project “Promoting Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development”. It provides additional exemplars of the best policy practices for promoting energy efficiency in UNECE region and beyond. The objective of the publication is to present a structured framework of policies and measures to promote energy efficiency investments for climate change mitigation and sustainable development, as well as to develop a menu of energy efficiency policies and measures.

This report provides insights and guidance on developments and needs in the natural gas market. The report, drafted by the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs for the UNECE Group of Experts on Gas, and in collaboration with a broad range of natural gas stakeholders from the UNECE region, highlights demand and supply trends for natural gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and suggests areas where policy makers can support the development of LNG infrastructure and markets that can contribute to sustainable development.

Coal mines are not only a safety management challenge but also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Methane release during coal mining creates unsafe working conditions in underground coal mines around the world. This Guidance is intended to provide a genuine contribution to improve mine safety practices at active underground coal mines, by supporting safer mining practices to reduce fatalities, injuries, and property losses, while encouraging the use of coal mine methane (CMM) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and utilize otherwise —wasted energy resources.