Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction
Renovate Europe is an endorsing partner of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GABC). The GABC was launched at the Buildings Day at COP21 in December, which Adrian Joyce attended as a speaker. Renovate Europe invited the Coordinator of the GABC to Brussels on 17th May for a Special Session with invited guests focused on “Follow-up to Buildings Day at COP21”.
WHAT IS THE GABC?
On the occasion of Buildings Action Day on December 3, Ségolène Royal, Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, and Head of the French delegation together with Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, launched the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction to combat Climate Change.
The alliance is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme and has been joined by 20 States, representing more than 1 billion people.
The creation of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction was the subject of a joint statement signed by over 70 leaders from the construction sector.
The signatories to the Alliance are:
- 20 countries: Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, USA, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Tunisia, Dubai, Ukraine, Armenia, Vietnam ;
- 8 major groups: Lafarge Holcim, Saint Gobain, Velux, Consolidated Contractors Company, Danfoss, Veolia, Sekisui House, Suez Environnement;
- Over 50 national and international organisations, professional networks and funders.
The Alliance will:
- Bring together all the relevant global players on a large scale around a common ambition and sustain this momentum to ensure that they work together over time;
- Increase the share of green building in international funding to implement new initiatives and increase the visibility of exemplary initiatives;
- Gather around a program of operational activities strategic networks and partners covering the full range of stakeholders in the building production chain;
- Promote initiatives and solutions by all the members signatory to the Alliance to make them reproducible and ensure their appropriation;
- Create a network for public authorities in charge of construction, to align regulations and financing towards low-carbon strategies.
Learn more about the COP21 Buildings Day: http://web.unep.org/climatechange/buildingsday
Endorsing Partner of C4E Forum
Renovate Europe is an endorsing Partner of the C4E Forum.
What is C4E Forum?
In short—not your average conference. Our aim is to create Central and Eastern Europe’s first community building event on energy efficiency in buildings. There are so many interesting efficiency projects happening in the region—it is time to share and build upon them!
- Half-week interactive programme combining practical sessions, creative workshops and evening plenaries with high-level speakers and plenty of informal networking opportunities
- Professionals and those interested in energy efficiency in buildings from government, industry, NGOs, think-tanks, financial institutions, etc. from across CEE region all in one place
- Hosted on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast – a breathtaking location at an affordable cost
Do you need to extend your knowledge and network? C4E Forum will help you do that.
Why now?
2016 will be an important year for energy efficiency as well as the broader concept of Energy Union. It will see the review of both the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Work on updating the National Energy Efficiency Action Plans will start as the 2017 NEEAP review approaches. Implementation of energy efficiency programmes needs to come up to speed to deliver on the 2020 energy savings target and reduce import dependence, improve local air quality, reduce fuel poverty, and in general, bring a better quality of life for the citizens in Central and Eastern Europe.
Who is actually coming?
- Governments: number of officials from various ministries from different countries (energy, industry, economy, environment), government energy agencies, advisors to ministers, members of cabinets
- Businesses: DANFOSS, denkstatt Group, E.ON, ETEM, Johnson Controls, Knauf Insulation, PHILIPS LIGHTING, Saint-Gobain, VELUX Group, and more
- Trade Associations: European as well as national associations of manufacturers of building materials and energy efficiency technologies, advocacy alliances (Chance for Buildings, Buildings for Future, DENEFF), number of Green Buildings Councils from the CEE region (BG, CZ, PL, SK, SI, TR)
- NGOs: CEE Bankwatch Network, ClientEarth, Climate Action Network Europe, EnEffect, Energiaklub Climate Policy Institute, European Climate Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Institute of Environmental Economics, Passive House Centre
- Research and thinktanks: Buildings Performance Institute Europe, Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency, Ecofys, Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, Metropolitan Research Institute, Regulatory Assistance Project
- International organizations: Covenant of Mayors, EASME, EBRD, European Commission, UNDP, World Bank, World Resources Institute
Learn more about the event: http://c4eforum.net/
Renovate Europe Newsletter - 2016 / 1
The first REC Newsletter for 2016 is out! Learn about Renovate Europe's activities in this first quarter by downloading the Newsletter below.
Investors Call for Binding Long Term Target for Renovation of Building Stock
The Institutional Investor’s Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)[1] called (9th March) on the European Commission, in the context of upcoming legislative reviews, to set a binding long term goal to bring the entire EU buildings sector up to a nearly-zero energy standard by 2050. This call is entirely consistent with the ambition of the Renovate Europe Campaign, which adds its voice to the call.
“To see an investor’s group which holds over €13 trillion of assets under management, calling for ambitious action on the energy renovation of buildings is very encouraging for our work” said Adrian Joyce, Campaign Director “It demonstrates that our calls for such action are resonating across sectors and have reached one of the most crucial actors for success – the financial sector.”
The call from the IIGCC is contained in a short paper that it released on the 11th March, entitled Transforming the sustainability of Europe’s Building Stock. The paper is the response of the IIGCC to the current revision of the key pieces of EU Legislation in the field: the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive.
The central position of the IIGCC is that “continuous improvement”, a concept taken from operations management, can be applied successfully to energy efficiency efforts in the building sector. It goes on to say that with the right mix of regulation and incentives, the IIGCC believes that it will be possible to decarbonise the European property sector by 2050.
For further information see: Transforming the Sustainability of Europe’s building stock
[1] See: www.iigcc.org
COP21 Paris Agreement: REC addresses Environment Council
Given its leading role in the elaboration of the COP21 Paris Agreement, the EU must remain at the forefront of its implementation. To do this, it will be necessary to be courageous and to develop concrete and innovative approaches that will reduce emissions and boost growth and jobs.
The most cost effective tool that is available to you and the 28 Member States is to accelerate the energy renovation of our buildings.
Download the REC letter to the Environment Council.
Launch of Cold@Home - A journalistic investigation of fuel poverty
18th February 2016
Cold@Home
A journalistic investigation of fuel poverty
Across Europe and North America, fuel poverty is on the rise: nearly 100 million people are estimated to be unable to afford to keep their homes adequately warm during winter months. EnAct (The Energy Action Project), in association with the Renovate Europe Campaign (REC), presents Cold@ Home, a multimedia project that investigates the underlying causes of fuel poverty, it impacts on people and society, and the measures being taken by diverse actors to address it.
The project launched this week with a web documentary from Ukraine, where people are facing their first winter after the government put in place a sevenfold increase in natural gas prices overnight (1st April 2015). Over the next 12 weeks (until 7th May), diverse multimedia elements will explore specific aspects of fuel poverty (see the attached editorial calendar).
Cold@Home's underlying message is that fuel poverty is not about being poor. In most cases, the combination of low quality housing and high energy prices drives people into financial hardship, ultimately compromising their health and well-being.
The project integrates diverse media to highlight different types of content:
Features range from personal stories (e.g. web documentaries and feature articles) to interactive elements and expert interviews via podcast.
Inside is the project's core element. This daily blog has two parallel streams: The Basics covers one sub-topic in a short entry (~400 words); readers who wish can link to Indepth, where energy experts offer deeper insights, in plain language.
The Energy Diary is a social media element through which EnAct allows people to give glimpses of their own daily struggles. This aims to give people a voice and help reduce the stigma associated with fuel poverty also providing insights for those working on solutions.
In keeping with EnAct's mission, Reporting that seeks to empower, Cold@Home has a section called Act Now, which includes tips on how people living in fuel poverty can take small steps to improve their situation or where they can go for help. It will also suggest how others can help those in need.
Cold@Home will evolve as it unfolds: EnAct will welcome questions from it audiences, accept ideas for new stories or angles, and engage with additional experts as needed.
Background information
EnAct is an online platform investigating the causes and impacts of energy poverty worldwide, as well as solutions to address it. Jointly developed by seasoned journalists and energy experts, EnAct capitalizes on the power of multimedia to engage, inform, influence and empower.
To get a sense of EnAct's work, view their trailer video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmCO2Zb4mBw
Renovate Europe is an initiative of the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE). Its headline ambition is to reduce the energy demand of the building stock in the EU by 80% by 2050 as compared to 2005 levels. The REC is calling for ambitious renovation strategies to be drawn up all across the EU in order to triple the annual renovation rate of buildings in the EU from 1% to 3% by 2020 and to ensure that all renovations are deep or staged deep renovations.
Learn more about the Campaign: www.renovate-europe.eu