We spend most of our lives in buildings, either at our homes or at work, and in order to fulfil our needs we consume energy. Energy is used for heating or cooling the living-space, lighting, powering all the electrical and electronic equipment of the house. Therefore, energy is a key element for achieving high living standards.
Currently in the EU, energy consumption in buildings accounts for around 40 per cent of total energy consumption and generates around 37 per cent of the overall carbon emissions. As estimated, by 2050 three quarters of actual buildings will be still in place while one quarter will represent new buildings constructed from today onwards. Therefore, energy consumption in buildings became an essential part of all strategic lines of the EU's energy policy in terms of energy security, competitiveness and environmental and climate respectfulness.
In brief, the building sector is an important element in all the EU's long-term strategies, having set the following indicative objectives. First, it is necessary to properly address the high "energy efficiency potential in new and existing buildings", which is identified by the energy roadmap 2050 as being key to enhancing energy security and competitiveness.
Second, it is important to reach the decarbonisation goals of 88 per cent to 91 per cent by 2050 as identified by the EU roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy. And finally, to radically reduce the use of resources as buildings are identified by the roadmap to a resource efficient Europe as being among the three key sectors – together with food and transport – responsible for 70-80 per cent of all environmental impacts.
By using existing energy efficiency technologies, we can reduce our energy demand, while the use of renewable energy may implicitly contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions from our buildings. Moreover, buildings-related activities have a significant impact in economic and social terms, influencing many industries and quality of life for citizens.
On top of these, the sustainability of buildings becomes a stringent need in the context of a fast growing population in an era of resource scarcity. Consequently, buildings policies should address the complexity of the problem while supporting economic development and providing societal benefits.
"Over the last decade, building policies in the EU increased in their scope and coverage and are moving towards an integrated approach taking into account the energy, environmental, financial and comfort related aspects"
Over the last decade, building policies in the EU increased in their scope and coverage and are moving towards an integrated approach taking into account the energy, environmental, financial and comfort related aspects. Specifically, the recast energy performance of buildings directive stands as an important milestone for building policies, requiring all EU member states to introduce energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements both for new and renovation of existing buildings, to uniform approaches and methodology for setting these requirements and to construct only near-zero-energy buildings from 2020 onwards.
The recast energy efficiency directive (EED) completes the legislative framework for reaching the EU 2020 target of saving 20 per cent of the union's primary energy consumption by 2020 compared to projections. Among others, the EED ask the EU countries to prepare long-term renovation plans and to foster the energy renovation of public buildings.
The existence of a long-term renovation framework will provide, on one hand, the necessary investment predictability for building owners and investors, and, on the other hand, will increase the macroeconomic benefits and eventually lead to the transformation into a sustainable building sector. Nevertheless, the EU legislation can be still improved. A specific energy efficiency target by 2030 that would include binding measures for buildings may consolidate actual progress while facilitating the definitive step forward towards sustainability.
However, acknowledging the variety in buildings culture, traditions and climate throughout European countries and following the subsidiarity principle, the EU's energy policies don't ask for a standard common approach in implementing them, but require the member states to draw up specific implementation rules adapted to national context.
Therefore, there are important discrepancies between implementation approaches among the EU countries. On top of everything, implementation of buildings legislation become key for reaching the anticipated results and for making a 'healthy' progress towards a sustainable building sector. Consequently, member states have to undertake more significant actions, by improving the regulatory, administrative and investment environment.
Moving towards sustainable buildings in the EU it is not an arbitrary request but a common and at the same time particular interest of each member states. The transition has already started and it will soon become even more evident that sustainability generates vigorous economic development and social welfare. Europe is not rich enough to afford cheap and temporary measures.