IPCC Report : Climate Change 2014
The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides a clear and up to date view of the current state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. It consists of three Working Group (WG) reports and a Synthesis Report (SYR) which integrates and synthesizes material in the WG reports for policymakers.
IPCC Reports 2014 : see
New European Standards child safety internal blinds
Brussels, 20 February 2014 - CEN announces the publication of three new European Standards that will help manufacturers to improve the safety of internal window blinds. These standards are aimed in particular at reducing the risk of accidents with children associated with the cords that are used to operate window blinds.
The new European Standards have been made available to all CEN Members (since 19 February). During the next six months, they will be 'implemented' (i.e. published) by all the Members of CEN, i.e. the National Standards Bodies of 33 European countries (including all EU and EFTA Member States), in accordance with the CEN Internal Regulations. CEN Members may also translate these European Standards into the national languages of their respective countries.
To obtain the Standards, please contact the National members - see website link with all the national website links
Download the full press release
EU-strategy on climate and energy policies 2030
In its plenary vote 5th February 2014 on the Climate and Energy Policies' 2030 Report (Delvaux/Szymanski), the European Parliament put its full weight behind the ITRE-ENVI Report calling for a binding 40% Energy Efficiency Target. This binding target should be in line with research on cost-effective energy saving potential. In particular the energy efficiency target needs to be implemented by means of individual national targets taking into account the individual situation and potential of each Member State. As stressed in the Resolution the cheapest energy is energy that is never used. In this connection increased energy efficiency should be seen as one of the cornerstones of the EU's climate and energy policy. The EU Parliament is convinced that energy efficiency helps to conserve resources, to reduce energy bills, energy dependence on imported fuels, trade deficits and health impacts, and to improve the long-term international competitiveness of the EU economy, as well as facilitating the reduction of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. Read the full text of this EU Parliament Resolution.
The EU Parliament's positioning is remarkable since only a few days before the EU Commission in its Policy Framework report (22th January 2014) for climate and energy 2030 did not set any targets on energy efficiency. Report EU Commission Climate and Energy 2030.
News from the scientific world
IPCC Report Climate Change and Land 2019: to be expected, see
IPCC Report 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C, see
IPCC Report Climate change 2014: Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability, see
Ph.D thesis on summer comfort, Flanders-Belgium, December 2013
"Design support for energy efficiency and summer comfort of dwellings in early design phases: A framework for a design tool adapted to the architects' practice in Flanders", PhD thesis by Lieve Weijtjens - Download
The U.S. BTO-Building Technologies Office energy performance program
The U.S. BTO announced up to $1.6 million in new funding to develop a program to rate and certify the energy performance of both residential and commercial window attachments.
