CROSQ and CARICOM Energy Unit partner to develop Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code

​According to the Dominica Bureau of Standards, The CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the CARICOM Energy Unit, are in the process of developing a Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (REEBC). This is being financed by the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ).
 
The development of a REEBC was mandated at the 41st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy. This mandate is intended to support a key objective of the CARICOM Energy Policy, that is, to achieve increased energy efficiency in various sectors. The development of the REEBC is one of five standards that are being developed under this mandate.
 
It has been noted that buildings account for over one-third of world’s total energy use and associated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and more than half of the electricity produced is consumed by buildings.
 
As a member of CARICOM, Dominica is currently participating in this process, and this is even more significant after the destructive passage of Hurricane Maria in September 2016.
 
With the passage of Hurricane Maria and the need for building resilience, active participation in the development of this Code is now very critical, as there is need to reduce Greenhouse Gas emission (GHG) in the atmosphere, to reach the target of 1.5°C, which was agreed upon at the COP21 Paris Agreement.