Finally Russia seems to discover it has to do something about its shocking waste of energy. In a brutally frank speech to the Russian State Council at Archangelsk on July 2nd, President Medvedev has called upon his citizens  to radically change their energy consumption habits:
• Raising energy efficiency will have to be the no 1 [...]

No other country on earth wastes more energy than Russia. According to Russian estimates, the country could save about 40 percent of its energy consumption if its energy sector functioned according to Western standards. The losses due to poor heat isolation of buildings, outdated equipment in industry and power generation and transmission are colossal. It [...]

On April 23, 2009, the European Parliament has called for all new buildings respecting zero energy and emission standards, as of 2019. This would be feasible through super-insulation combined with  renewable energy covering the remaining energy needs, e.g. for heating, cooling and warm water.
Buildings account for 40 percent of global energy consumption and C02 emissions. It [...]