UNECE partners with the European Federation of Geologists for sustainable energy and mineral resource management
UNECE and the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) have agreed to join forces to promote the goals and objectives of the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC), in particular its application to energy and raw materials required for sustainable development, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today.
The cooperation envisaged under the UNECE – EFG MoU will include the promotion of UNFC as a tool to achieve balanced, transparent, equitable development of energy and mineral resources to achieve broad-based sustainable growth in alignment with EU policies and directives. Through a range of outreach and other activities, UNECE and EFG will promote UNFC as a sustainable management tool to support policy analysis, government resources management, industrial business processes, and the introduction of innovative technologies and financing.
The Expert Group on Resource Classification (EGRC), which develops and maintains UNFC will be supported by the rich professional expert base of EFG. In particular, EFG will support the development and promotion of guidance as needed for application of UNFC in a regional European context. The partnership will also support training and capacity building initiatives for the classification, reporting and sustainable management of energy and mineral resources in accordance with UNFC. In addition, the cooperation will contribute to “minerals diplomacy” or cooperation for equitable and fair access to energy and raw materials to support the developmental needs of all regions of the world.
UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova welcomed the partnership, highlighting in particular that “in the context of the increasing global use of UNFC as a tool for sustainable resource management, cooperation with EFG will support its further uptake. This will help to raise awareness of its positive impact for countries and companies, and strengthen capacities for its use among key stakeholders”.
“By recognizing UNFC as one of the essential tools required for sustainable management of all resources, this European initiative could be a template for other regions to consider adopting”, said Vitor Correia, President of EFG.
EFG will support the various sectoral working groups of the UNECE Expert Group on Resource Classification that produce UNFC specifications and guidelines. This work includes preparation of guidelines for accommodating social and environmental considerations in the development of energy and raw material resources, as well as case studies to test application of UNFC across the range of commodities. Through this MoU, EFG will be a key professional counterpart of the Expert Group supporting the development and implementation of UNFC in Europe and beyond.
For further information on UNFC and UNECE’s Expert Group on Resource Classification, please visit: http://www.unece.org/energy/se/reserves.html
and/or contact: Hari Tulsidas at [email protected]
For further information on EFG, please visit: http://eurogeologists.eu/
and/or contact: Isabel Fernandez at [email protected]
Note to editors
About UNFC
UNFC, a flagship project of UNECE, has become the global tool for understanding and managing the resource base of energy and raw materials. This includes primary energy sources such as petroleum, coal, as well as renewable energies such as bioenergy, geothermal, solar, wind and hydropower. It also covers raw materials such as iron, copper, aluminium, rare earths elements (REEs) and essential fertilizers, including potash and phosphates. UNFC offers a common framework that allows countries and companies to manage how the required energy and raw materials could be assured in an affordable and sustainable manner.
In recent years, there has been significant interest in and uptake of UNFC both within the UNECE region and beyond. In October 2017, the African Minerals Development Centre hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Africa decided to adopt UNFC as the resource management system for the whole of Africa. The Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP), an intergovernmental body with 14 member countries, has also decided to apply UNFC as a common standard for petroleum and minerals.
About the European Federation of Geologists (EFG)
The European Federation of Geologists (EFG) is a not-for-profit organization representing approximately 46,000 geoscience professionals in Europe and works closely with the European Union (EU) and its various bodies. EFG contributes to the protection of the environment, public safety and responsible development of natural resources by promoting excellence in the application of geoscience, supporting the research and teaching that underpins it and raising public awareness of the importance of geoscience to society.
