Creating accessible, sustainable and energy-efficient living environments for all societies should be a key priority, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and Deputy Executive Director of UNEP Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said during the event titled “Climate and Housing Nexus” organized within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, APA reports.
She noted that 2.8 billion people around the world live in inadequate housing, while 1.8 billion people reside in informal settlements and slums. Mrema stressed that when developing housing policies, the provision of affordable and climate-resilient homes for everyone, regardless of social status, should be taken into account.
According to the UN official, several existing market problems are slowing progress in this field: “Construction companies often think more about profit rather than energy efficiency and climate resilience. As a result, residents face high energy costs and low comfort conditions.”
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema stated that due to short-term cost pressures, cheap and low-quality solutions are preferred in the construction sector: “For example, the construction of high-rise buildings is more expensive, and their operating costs are many times higher compared to low-rise buildings.”
She added that weak confidence in low-carbon and environmentally sustainable construction materials in developing countries is also among the main problems: “This is not a technical issue, but a behavioral one. Perceptions regarding the quality of local and sustainable materials must change.”
Mrema also emphasized that although construction rules and standards exist in many countries, their implementation remains weak: “Due to insufficient oversight, some construction companies fail to comply with standards in order to earn more profit.”
