There are several pathways through which energy systems are transitioning to a decarbonized sustainable economy. The development and implementation of these technologies are being driven by innovation in a wide variety of technologies. Now that most economies are emerging governments are focused on driving a sustainable socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic but there is an endemic issue which must be addressed. The energy sector is missing out on the experiences skills and talents of much of half the human population which severely constrains the sustainable energy transition. In addition to a larger skilled workforce there are several advantages in bridging the gender gap within the energy sector. Gender disparities in the energy sector have been observed around the world. Women are less represented in policymaking corporate leadership and governance as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists and in the labour workforce. These barriers are surmountable using a two-way complementary approach which is simultaneously bottom-up - action by women and society to bridge the gap of gender inequality in the energy sector – and top-down – government and policymakers need to develop policy tools to encourage women’s participation in the energy sector. This paper is summarising key findings from a report and empirical case studies of five United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) member States: Albania Belarus Ukraine the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

Well-informed energy policy design is key to reaching decarbonization targets and keep global climate change under a 2°C threshold. In particular low-carbon electricity provision for all is essential as the IPCC shows that the most ambitious climate mitigation scenarios entail the electrification of most of our economy. Therefore understanding the full scale of potential impacts from current and future electricity generation is required in order to avoid “impact leakage” i.e. increasing non-climate environmental pressure while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Life cycle assessment allows the evaluation of a product over its life cycle and across a wide range of environmental indicators – this method was chosen to report on the environmental profiles of various technologies. Candidate technologies assessed include coal natural gas hydropower nuclear power concentrated solar power (CSP) photovoltaics and wind power. Twelve global regions included in the assessment allowing to vary load factors methane leakage rates or background grid electricity consumption among other factors. With no exception every electricity generation technology generates environmental impacts over its life cycle; and these impacts may vary widely with implementation site and other design choices. Proper energy policy should consider site-specificity by conducting lifecycle assessments that consider local conditions and potential prospective changes.

The role of micro- small and medium enterprises (MSME) in delivering energy-efficient products and in providing renewable energy equipment can become crucial in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase if they are provided with necessary incentives. This can be one of the ways to restart MSME or even create new ones when job opportunities are scarce. The study includes an analysis of the environment that MSMEs face as a result of COVID-19; best practices in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy that show how MSME may respond; measures that MSME can undertake in delivering energy-efficient products; and recommendations on creating an environment for MSME to facilitate an economic recovery in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

This publication explores the progress in energy efficiency and renewable energy in selected countries of South-Eastern Europe Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in the Russian Federation. The study analyzes policy legislative and regulatory frameworks financial environment and level of awareness in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy from 2010 to the present. It also identifies the existing gaps at the required frameworks and environment to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in the countries. This study is intended to support countries in their ongoing efforts towards improving energy efficiency and building a strong renewable energy base. It proposes a set of recommendations for necessary steps in achieving the long-term objectives for energy mix and meeting the ambitious related targets set by the countries.

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.

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.

The UNECE Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane (CMM) has released the second edition of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. Since the first edition was published in 2010 the industry practice and regulations have evolved and this second edition captures the most critical developments. The second edition also includes additional case studies that illustrate the application of the best practices in coal mines worldwide. The principles-based second edition of Best Practice Guidance does not replace national or international laws and regulations. Rather it complements them through a holistic approach to safer and more effective methane management practices.

This publication is prepared in the framework of the United Nations Development Account project “Promoting Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development” which is implemented jointly by all five UN Regional Commissions with UNECE as the lead agency. This publication highlights 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. Governments business community experts project developers and other stakeholders will find this publication to be a useful companion for understanding and applying the best policy practices in improving energy efficiency.

This Report has been prepared in the framework of the Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Investments for Climate Change Mitigation project. The Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Investments for Climate Change Mitigation project assists the countries of South-Eastern Europe Eastern Europe and Central Asia to enhance their energy efficiency diminish fuel poverty and reduce air pollution such as greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet international environmental treaty obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It aims to provide a pipeline of new and existing projects dedicated to public-private partnership investment funds. It will establish an expanded and enhanced network of selected municipalities and energy managers and will provide case study investment projects in renewable energy technologies electric power and clean coal technologies.

The United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (UNFC-2009) is a universally applicable scheme for classifying/evaluating energy and mineral reserves and resources — it is the successor to UNFC-2004. Designed as an all-encompassing framework it enables the incorporation and unification of existing national systems while allowing their classification units and glossary to be retained. The principal objective of UNFC-2009 is to enhance international communication by providing a simple user-friendly and uniform format for the reporting of energy reserves and resources using market-based economic criteria.