ENG - UN CC:Learn

EUROPE AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF
INDEPENDENT STATES
CZECH REPUBLIC / SLOVAK REPUBLIC
SLOVENIA / MALTA
MDG7
Progress Towards Environmental Sustainability
For most of the environmental indicators, the state of the environment in
the Czech Republic does not differ significantly from the EU and OECD
averages. The reasons for this situation, which differs greatly from the
alarming situation at the end of the 1980s, lie both in the positive impact
of national economic restructuring and implementation of active measures,
including preparation and enforcement of new legislation in environmental
protection (the Czech Parliament approved 16 environmental acts
alone in 2002 — 2003). In addition, the State Environmental Policy has had a
positive effect. An effective administrative system was created at all levels, including
a system of supporting professional institutions and extensive investments. In the absence
of unforeseen events, the basic trend in the period to 2010 should be a very slight gradual improvement in the state of the environment.
QUICK FACTS
Total UNDP-GEF and Co-Finance: $45,912,039
Total: $45,912,039
Low Cost, Low Energy Buildings 2
GERMANY
Since 1990, there has been a consistent and significant decrease in the amounts of pollutants discharged into surface waters. In
2002, there was stagnation in these indicators due to catastrophic floods on most of the Czech territory. An important development
resulting from improved water quality led to an increase in the number of inhabitants connected to the public sewer system.
The number of inhabitants with access to the public sewer system in 2002 reached 7.99 million, or 77.4% of the population of the
Czech Republic. However, some parts of the sewer systems are not
yet connected to waste water treatment plants and 22% of the population
still lives in houses that have no connection to public sewers.
In order to achieve the MDG targets for environmental sustainability,
the Czech Republic aims to concentrate on cost-effective measures
to deal with environmental problems. The investments are
envisioned to gradually shift from “end-of-the-pipe technology” to
the introduction of new “cleaner” production technologies and to
utilize flexible and group regulation mechanisms and voluntary
activities. 1
While LC-LE houses may have up to 20% increase in initial costs, they can credit this against 40% lower energy consumption
through better insulation of hot-water pipes and installation of low-pressure valves. To date, 77 professionals have been
involved in the design and construction of new energy-efficient buildings, 500 professionals and 250 students have been
CLIMATE
trained in design and construction, two multi-apartment buildings have
CHANGE
been built, and six single-family homes are under construction.
The response to the project has been positive from the media and the community with two buildings receiving
awards.
Plzen
CZECH
REPUBLIC
Liberec
AUSTRIA
Bratislava
Prague
AUSTRIA
POLAND
Ostrava
CZECH REPUBLIC
SLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
Brno
SPOTLIGHT
SLOVAKIA
UKRAINE
Kosice
Reducing CO2 emissions is a critical first step to reducing climate change. This was difficult in the Czech
residential housing sector, an industry often mired in rapid construction and inefficient insulation,
resulting in a net increase in energy consumption in the long term. There was a lack of experience with
the technical, economic, social and environmental aspects of low-cost, energy-efficient buildings, as well
as a lack of standards and the common misconception that higher initial costs for energy-efficient technology
meant higher total cost.
A GEF-supported US$ 448,000 project, with an additional US$ 980,000 in local investments, began in 1999 with the aim of
reducing GHG emissions by removing these barriers to the widespread use of low-cost, low-energy (LC-LE) technologies in the
housing sector. Implemented by the Czech NGO SEVEN, this pilot project developed construction plans for low-energy buildings,
and negotiated with local investors, builders and policy makers to finance the construction and awareness of the housing
projects. New energy standards for design and construction were developed in the pilot-cities of Su_ice, _elezn_ Brod, and
Humpolec and eventually adopted by the Government. The removal of these barriers will lead to estimated GHG reductions of
about 25% in the residential housing sector of the Czech republic by the year 2010, or 650,000 tonnes equivalent per year.
POLAND
ROMANIA
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