ISLAMABAD: The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA), an arm of the Power Division, has urged all District Development Authorities (DDAs) across the country to integrate the Energy Conservation Building Code 2023 (ECBC-2023) into their respective building by-laws to promote sustainable and energy-efficient construction practices.
In a series of official letters, NEECA Managing Director Sardar Mohazzam has written to the heads of multiple development bodies, including the Galiyat, Mardan, Swat, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Lahore, Gwadar, Quetta, Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Mirpur, and Muzaffarabad Development Authorities, as well as the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
The correspondence highlights that under the NEECA Act 2016, the Authority is mandated to regulate and promote energy efficiency across all sectors of Pakistan’s economy. The ECBC-2023, approved by the Federal Cabinet in August 2023, outlines the minimum requirements for energy-efficient design and construction of buildings. It includes provisions for building envelope design, insulation standards, passive architecture, renewable energy integration, and efficient electrical and mechanical systems to reduce overall energy consumption.
NEECA praised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for becoming the first to incorporate ECBC-2023 into its building by-laws — a move the MD termed as a “progressive step” that sets an example for other cities to follow.
Mr. Mohazzam has urged DDAs to initiate similar adoption processes, emphasizing that incorporating ECBC-2023 will align local regulations with national energy efficiency goals while delivering long-term economic, environmental, and social benefits.
Earlier, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Leghari had written to provincial chief ministers and the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, seeking their support for the implementation of ECBC-2023 to curb energy wastage in the building sector. He reiterated that enforcing the code is vital to ensuring Pakistan’s transition toward a more sustainable and energy-resilient future.
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
