The Sustainable Buildings Network, SBN, is an umbrella network on energy efficiency in buildings.

SBN is an initiative of the Heiligendamm process. It received strong support from G8 countries and major emerging economies.

The aim of SBN is to share information, identify gaps, and facilitate the implementation of best policy practices as well as the dissemination of existing material globally for both new and existing buildings.

SBN also works to establish recommendations for policies, and discuss the implementation of policy instruments on sustainable buildings. The goal is to provide policy-makers and other stakeholders with evidence-based advice and practical guidance.

SBN has a global scope to establish initiatives in support of CO2 emission reduction in the building sector. The four priority areas of work identified by SBN are: Zero Energy Buildings, Intelligent Tropical and Hot Climate Architecture, Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings, and Building Codes.

The first SBN conference was held on 15-16 November 2010 in Paris, where projects for each of the priority areas were selected. Results of SBN initiatives were presented at the SBN Workshop which was held on 2 February 2011 in Paris.

A workshop on Energy Efficiency in the Buildings Sector, organised by the IEA and hosted by EE Global Forum, was held on 12 April in Brussels during the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). The main objective of the workshop was to discuss near-term prospects for the deployment of Zero Energy Buildings and deep renovation at a global level, in residential and commercial buildings. Workshop participants welcomed the IEA’s initiative for more international collaboration in the buildings sector.