As climate change continues to challenge temperature levels around the globe, there is an urgent need for substantial reductions in CO2 emissions to reduce human-induced global warming. In this blog, our partners at the Technical University of Denmark summarise the key takeaways of a recent report from the European Academies of Science Advisory Council (EASAC) calling EU lawmakers for action to regulate Greenhouse Gas emissions of buildings in order to significantly reduce global warming.
Based on available scientific evidence, a report from the European Academies of Science Advisory Council (EASAC) prepared by a group of researchers from 15 European countries calls for action from EU lawmakers. This is urgently needed to ensure that all 250 million existing and projected new buildings in the EU become nearly zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emitters. Currently, between 1 and 1.5% of the European building stock is being renovated annually. Still, the report concludes that the rate needs to be two to three times higher to limit global warming to less than 1.5 or 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.
The report emphasises the need to limit by regulation not only the operational GHG emissions of buildings, which represent about 25% of the total GHG emissions from the EU, but also the embodied GHG emissions in the materials, components and systems used in the construction of new buildings or renovations. It is estimated that the number of new jobs in the building industry that could result from the proposed Renovation Wave would almost double the existing building workforce of 3.4 million workers.
In addition to recommendations to reduce GHG emissions by building design, the report underlines the importance of addressing the health and well-being of the occupants by adequate ventilation and indoor air quality, no overheating, adequate access to daylight and access to outdoor space. Also, energy poverty is an issue that interacts with policies on energy use and a range of socio-economic factors.
Of particular relevance to EERAdata, the report highlights the key role of cities in the decarbonisation of buildings. It suggests that cities should take opportunities to build and renovate neighbourhoods to achieve very low GHG emission targets with integrated energy and transport systems.
The report provides nine key messages to policymakers aiming to decarbonise new and existing buildings in the EU:
- Phase-out fossil fuels by 2030, increase integrated supplies of decarbonised electricity and heat to buildings, industry, and transport, and accelerate carbon capture and storage deployment.
- Use grants and incentives to trigger, leverage and de-risk private financing for deep energy-related building renovations.
- Regulate levels of embodied GHG emissions in building materials and components and promote recycled materials, re-used building components and renovation instead of demolition.
- Refocus building regulations, certification schemes and incentives to deliver new and renovated buildings that operate with nearly zero GHG emissions.
- Promote health and well-being to double or triple rates of renovations that improve air quality, increase access to daylight, and avoid draughts and overheating as well as reducing GHG emissions.
- Champion public authorities and cities, facilitate and support their commitments to decarbonise buildings and reduce energy poverty.
- Expand and modernise the building industry using circular business models with 3 million more jobs (including high-quality jobs) to deliver new and renovated buildings with nearly zero GHG emissions.
- Improve access for building owners and professionals to certified data on the embodied GHG emissions of building materials and components and the energy and GHG emission performance of new and renovated buildings.
- Update EU legislation (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), Renewable Energy Directive (RED), Emissions Trading System (ETS), Construction Products Directive (CPD), Taxonomy) using an integrated approach to phase out fossil fuels, increase renewable energy supplies and reduce cumulative GHG emissions from buildings.
The findings and the key messages of the EASAC report are well aligned with the distressing sixth assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IOCC). The report projects that climate change continues to challenge temperature levels around the globe and that cities may intensify human-induced warming locally. Further urbanisation, together with more frequent hot extremes, will increase the severity of heatwaves. The IPCC calls for substantial reductions in CO2 emissions to reduce human-induced global warming. Decarbonising buildings is one major step to achieve this goal.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 847101.