Press Release
July 10, 2023

Passive House Network Joins Buildings Action Coalition to Support United Nations’ Initiative on High Performance Buildings

The Passive House Network has joined the Buildings Action Coalition (BAC) in partnership with the Enniscorthy Forum, other coalition members, and the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction to support and advance the principles of high performance in buildings and the built environment. Dave Parker, Co-Director of Passive House Pennsylvania, and Barbara-Anne Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Enniscorthy Forum, signed the accession documents at a ceremony organized at Enniscorthy Castle under the auspices of the first ministerial summit of the Enniscorthy Forum.

A non-profit organization, the Enniscorthy Forum, in its role as secretariat for the BAC, inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to collaborate on a worldwide mission to improve buildings to reduce carbon emissions while keeping them affordable, healthy, and comfortable.

The Enniscorthy Forum and its partners will collaborate with UNEP to promote and demonstrate the transformative benefits of high-performance buildings and ensure the take-up of best practice methods in planning, design, and construction worldwide.

Dave Parker noted, “The Passive House Network has been working with our partners to advance the principles of high-performance buildings for many years. The memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme that has just been signed broadens our activities to a global scale with a focus on specific projects and programs that will deliver tangible results quickly. We are pleased to join forces with the BAC to offer our extensive experience and learn from other mission-aligned efforts worldwide.”

Barbara-Anne Murphy observed that “We welcome the Passive House Network to the Buildings Action Coalition. We have a significant program underway, including outreach, research, academic studies, construction projects, and education and training schemes. We also plan to mobilize resources and disseminate knowledge, experience, and best practices to transition toward high-performance buildings. PHN will have an important role to play in this initiative.”

The Enniscorthy Forum, located in County Wexford, Ireland, was established to support the United Nations’ sustainable development agenda, focusing on Buildings and the Built Environment, Energy, Diplomacy, Health, and Education.

For more information, please contact
Barbara-Anne Murphy at +353 87 673 6966
Ken Levenson at +1 929 376 8539

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