Comment: The EU President must implement plans to increase energy efficiency in this sector to reduce vulnerability to geopolitical shocks and dependence on fossil fuels.
Cristina Gamboa is CEO of the World Green Building Council.
Imagine walking through a city where every building is a testament to sustainability, resilience and innovation. A city built by and serving a prosperous, diverse and caring society.
This vision of Europe is not a distant dream.
This goal can be achieved if the European Commission advances its sustainable building policy – The relevant plans are likely to be at the top of President Ursula von der Leyen’s inbox when she returns from her summer break at the end of the month.
In just weeks, her second term begins in earnest, and with it her second push to keep Europe’s green transition alive – a five-year marathon to cement both herself and the bloc’s environmental legacy.
The Commission’s activities so far are commendable. The revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) were important steps to accelerate climate action in the sector and to promote plans as part of the renovation wave to increase energy efficiency in public and private buildings.
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In the “Political guidelines released shortly after her re-electionVon der Leyen has shown promising signs of continuing to champion sustainable buildings as a climate solution. There is a promise to appoint the first EU Commissioner with direct responsibility for housing, while our industry awaits with interest the new Circular Economy Act, which is designed to increase market demand for reused and recycled materials.
This is promising – but Von der Leyen must take further steps in both implementing existing measures and developing new ones to maximise the holistic benefits of sustainable buildings for all.
We already know that sustainable buildings have enormous potential to reduce greenhouse gases. Buildings are responsible for about 40% of total energy consumption in the EU and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions from energyso that they can help improve energy security and reduce the bloc’s vulnerability to geopolitical shocks and its dependence on fossil fuels.
Create jobs, reduce energy costs
What is not talked about enough is the fact that they have the potential to address other problems facing Europe today: the cost of living and the unemployment crisis.
These less discussed topics related to buildings are, for me, just as important, if not more so, because of their added value for people and society.
Take, for example, the energy retrofit of buildings. The widespread availability of well-insulated buildings that keep the heat out in summer but retain heat in winter will significantly reduce energy costs across the continent.
The benefits of this will be far-reaching, but especially for vulnerable or low-income HouseholdsGiven the rising cost of energy, improving energy efficiency in buildings would not only reduce the associated costs but would also benefit living conditions.
However, the benefits of building renovation do not end here.
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This task alone could create millions of new jobs across Europe: 18 jobs For every million euros invested in such renovations, additional costs arise.
Taking into account the figures of the European Commission, which has calculated that 275 billion euros are needed annually to close the renovation gap in the EU, this level of investment could lead to almost 5 million additional jobs throughout the block.
In addition, there is a real financial incentive for national governments to invest in the construction sector in order to achieve savings in the long term. Data The Spanish government has shown that supporting a person while unemployed costs €20,000, while financing a new build costs €14,000 – a significant drop. These statistics are a real-life example of how buildings can both solve government problems and create better prospects for individuals.
The blueprint is ready for use
Europe is at a significant point in its history.
With just five years to go until 2030, Europe has committed to halving its emissions by then, which will show whether it is on track to become the first climate-neutral continent. However, in the recent general election, parties that could make the path to net-zero emissions more difficult won a record number of seats.
Von der Leyen has a real chance to confirm her green policy legacy by driving an energy efficient, renewable and just transition in the built environment. The World Green Building Council’s European regional network is ready to build further momentum together with the Commission over the next five years, creating concrete benefits at individual, societal and national level.
Let us create a better, fairer and more sustainable future for the whole of Europe. The plan is in place, we just need to put it into action.
TThe World Green Building Council leads BuildingLife, a project that advances the EU Commission’s Green Deal across the bloc by working to eliminate carbon emissions from buildings throughout their lifetime.
