Baghdad Promoting Carbon Reduction Through Energy Efficiency (EE) Techniques

Baghdad Promoting Carbon Reduction Through Energy Efficiency (EE) Techniques project is a UNDP-led energy-efficiency initiative that supports the adoption of energy efficiency practices in buildings and urban infrastructure across Baghdad, Iraq.^{1 2} The programme is framed as part of Iraq’s broader transition toward low-carbon development and improved energy demand management.³

The project’s vision is to “promote low-carbon development in Iraq” by strengthening energy efficiency policy, technical capacity, and practical applications in the urban building sector. It aims to embed energy efficiency as a central component of national climate mitigation strategies and urban planning.⁴

Its specific objectives combine technical, institutional, and demonstration actions to mainstream energy-efficient technologies and practices across the built environment. These include:⁵

• Promoting innovation and technology transfer that enables adoption of sustainable energy-efficiency solutions.
• Establishing enabling policy, institutional, and legislative frameworks for energy efficiency in buildings.
• Strengthening individual and institutional capacity to develop and enforce energy efficiency standards and practices.
• Identifying key intervention points to pilot and scale energy-efficient solutions.

To implement the vision, the project integrates several strategic components:^{6 7}

• Policy and Regulatory Assessment: analysing existing legislation and energy efficiency frameworks to inform new standards and incentives.
• Capacity Building and Institutional Support: training public officials, technical experts, and stakeholders on building energy efficiency best practices and standards.
• Retrofit Demonstrations: pilot energy-efficiency retrofitting of buildings in Baghdad, including planned upgrades to the Energy Efficiency Center (EEC) at Baghdad University and a Ministry of Education facility to showcase best practices and catalyse broader uptake.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Awareness: consultations with private sector, national authorities, and civil society to align implementation with local needs and to disseminate knowledge on efficiency benefits.

In terms of sustainability, the project seeks to reduce emissions by improving building energy efficiency, limiting dependence on fossil fuel-based power generation, and delivering operational cost savings in alignment with Iraq’s national climate and energy frameworks.^{8 9}

The project is implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Iraq in partnership with the Government of Iraq and relevant ministries responsible for environment, energy, and building regulation, with support from local technical experts, private-sector energy-efficiency firms, and public institutions involved in pilot retrofit activities.¹⁰

Approved in 2021 as a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-financed climate-change project, the initiative is being implemented through multi-year phases covering policy development, capacity building, and retrofit demonstrations, with activities continuing under UNDP programming through 2027.^{11 12}