December 2019

During its first 100 days in office the Renovate Europe Campaign will be tracking development of the EUGreenDeal – and proving why it must include a strategy for deep energy renovation of the building stock in the EU. We’re launching a social media campaign to call for an ambitious GreenDeal4Buildings. This article is the first of three that will be published as part of our #GreenDeal4Buildings campaign, and focuses on the many untapped benefits of energy renovation – such as emissions reduction, ending energy poverty, economic and wellbeing benefits. 

As new Members of the European Parliament take their places and the European Green Deal — as promised by new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — takes shape, it bears repeating that the state of EU buildings holds the potential to make or break whatever energy, emissions and environmental targets are set in the coming months.

A growing body of research attaches figures to the value of benefits that energy efficiency measures deliver to public agencies, private entities, economies as a whole, and to individual citizens. Renovating private homes has a benefit-cost ratio of 4:1, reflecting reductions in healthcare expenditure, elimination of energy subsidy pay-outs, job creation and greater economic empowerment of citizens who are lifted out of energy poverty.

At present, buildings account for 40% of EU energy demand and 36% of carbon dioxide emissions. Each year, the EU imports 55% of its energy needs at a cost of approximately €300 billion. Most troubling is the reality that in 2050, nine out of ten existing buildings will still be in use.

Renovate Europe is pleased to see that buildings are included in early discussion of the European Green Deal. Yet to date, policy action in this area has failed to stimulate the level of deep energy renovation needed. During Executive Vice-President Timmermans’ first 100 days in office we plan to loudly advocate for renovation of the building stock as a tool not only to reduce emissions, but to capture a range of untapped benefits in terms of health, productivity and the economy.

The full article can be read here.

Keep up to date with the #GreenDeal4Buildings campaign via the Renovate Europe Twitter & LinkedIn.