OBESSU Signs Letter of Intent to Join Buildings Action Coalition to Support United Nations’ Initiative on High Performance Buildings
The Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) has signed a letter of intent to join 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. Anna Weinrich and Andrew Victory, Board Members of OBESSU, and Barbara-Anne Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Enniscorthy Forum, signed the letter of intent in a signing ceremony organized at the Enniscorthy Castle on the occasion of the second summit of the Enniscorthy Forum.
A non-profit organisation, 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 as well as healthy and comfortable. The Enniscorthy Forum and its partners will work in collaboration with UNEP to promote and demonstrate the transformative benefits of high-performance buildings and to ensure take-up of best practice methods in planning, design and construction across the world.
Anna Weinrich noted: “As part of the second Summit of the Buildings Action Coalition, we all become witnesses to a multi-faceted coalition of actors who are keen to make a difference. A coalition with people from different paths of life, who are equipped and ready to rise to the challenges of climate change and sustainable development. As part of this coalition, OBESSU wishes to bring its experiences and knowledge that resulted from a long term ongoing process of student-led political activism and mobilisation extended from national to regional and international level. To use the platform it offers as an organisation to support and shape this initiative as we move forward.”
Andrew Victory confirmed: “OBESSU represents a vast network of student unions. We are deeply engaged in activities on advocacy, campaigns, and specific projects of interest for our members. All three activities can contribute to the vision and objectives of the Buildings Action Coalition.”
Barbara-Anne Murphy observed that “We look forward to welcoming the OBESSU to the Buildings Action Coalition and collaborating with their network of student unions to mobilise local and national governments and community-level players to change how buildings are conceived and delivered. Youth must be at the table and have important role to play in this initiative.”
The Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) is the platform for cooperation between the national school student unions active in general secondary and secondary vocational education in Europe. It was founded in April 1975 in Dublin, Ireland and brings together Member, Candidate and Affiliate Organisations from all over Europe.
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.
Read the Press Relesase by OBESSU HERE.
Read the Press Release by the Enniscorthy Forum HERE.
