The European building sector is responsible for approximately one third of all energy consumption. A majority of this is used for heating and warm water but the proliferation of cooling systems and the ever increasing use of electrical appliances constitute additional challenges. Furthermore, the use of floor-space per person is still increasing, both for office buildings and private housing. As a result of the recent energy price scare and in conjunction with economic stimulus packages following the financial crisis politicians are currently seeking concepts and strategies to invest into energy efficiency in the building sector.

EU funded research on this subject shows that technological developments are so advanced that virtually any type of new building can be constructed to meet the highest energy efficiency standards and most existing buildings can easily be retrofitted to reduce energy consumption by 50% and more. The ECO-BUILD project, coordinated by the ICCR in Vienna, studied a range of good practice examples and put forward a number of policy recommendations to assist European and national authorities in drafting new energy efficiency strategies. During the upcoming year, the project will analyze the effectiveness of various policy measures. The first project report and the related policy recommendations are available for download from www.ecobuild-project.org

To support our team we are looking for new staff members at the ICCR Vienna office. We have opened a position for a Dissemination Officer at the ICCR Foundation. We are also offering internships for young researchers.
For more information and details on how to apply, please visit our jobs page.

A group of European and Asian experts are meeting at the ICCR on 4-5 September to agree on a conceptual framework for the assessment of the costs and benefits of compliance with EU food safety regulations. The meeting takes place in the framework of the MONIQA Network of Excellence. The assessment model will be demonstrated through country case studies in Italy, Egypt, Turkey, China and Indonesia