The Greening of Russia: Moscow Green Buildings Conference 2008

Carrier, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), and its Russian partner, AHI, today sponsored, “Moscow 2008 Green Buildings Conference,” a day-long event focusing on commercial building trends, products, policies and regulations. Global industry and sustainability experts spoke to some 120 building industry members about new directions in Russian energy efficiency and a possible “green” future for Russia.

Environmental sustainability and energy efficiency are critical issues for governments, businesses and communities. Buildings are responsible for at least 40 percent of energy use in most countries according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. At Carrier Corp., the concept of environmentally responsible and energy-efficient buildings is a daily commitment to environmental stewardship.

“Carrier is committed to developing new products, technologies and resources to help the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industry satisfy the growing market demand for environmentally responsible high-performance buildings,” said Kelly Romano, president, Carrier Buildings Systems and Services.

According to the US Green Building Council, environmentally responsible or “green” buildings use on average 40 percent less energy and 50 percent less water than their traditional counterparts. Green buildings are made of sustainable and renewable materials. Their efficiency increases during their lifecycle through better design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal. As a result, they emit substantially fewer greenhouse gases than traditional buildings, have improved indoor air quality , and conserve resources.

“Environmental sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings are relatively new terms for Russia,” said Dmitri Portanski, director, Government and Public Affairs at United Technologies International Operations, Moscow. “The Russian government is now establishing the regulatory framework to create the most favorable conditions for the implementation of energy efficiency technologies in many industries, including buildings.”

Today, Russia is developing sustainable buildings to comply with world ecological standards and strict requirements for environmental protection. Russia is a party to multilateral environmental agreements such as those on climate change, biological diversity and protection of the ozone layer.

With a long tradition of environmental leadership, Carrier’s forward-looking view drives the company to address the environmental effect of its products. Carrier, the only founding member of the U.S., India and China Green Building Councils, leads the industry in creating total building solutions that meet and exceed new environmental sustainability and system performance benchmarks.

“At Carrier, we understand that how we design, manufacture and service heating, cooling and refrigeration systems fundamentally impacts the world,” says Romano. “Carrier is committed to helping the industry develop new sustainable solutions and products for high-performance buildings.”