
Governance

Governance
Secretariat
The District Energy in Cities Secretariat is based in UNEP’s Economy Division in Paris, with outpost offices in pilot countries and the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency in Denmark. The Secretariat is a core actor in policy creation and technical advisory services, provides an up-to-date knowledge database on district energy, ensures quality control and technical backstopping, and builds partnership for implementation.
At the heart of the UN system, the Secretariat use international diplomacy to put district energy on the global policy agenda. The District Energy in Cities Initiative’s annual workplan is prepared by the Secretariat, in consultation with cities, countries and partners, and is approved by the project steering committee.
Global Advisory Board
The Global Advisory Board is comprised of the Initiative’s partners, who meet annually to track progress on the work programme, identify new opportunities, and provide guidance to ensure the Initiative is utilizing its resources and capacity effectively. In addition to the Global Advisory Board, District Energy in Cities has several taskforces and expert working groups, which meet several times a year.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is the main decision-making body of District Energy in Cities, composed of mayors and ministers or their senior representatives from each pilot city and country of the Initiative. Through the annual Steering Committee meeting, the Secretariat develops ideas for existing or new work programmes, which are then discussed with the Global Advisory Board and ultimately presented to the Governing Board for approval.