On Monday 30 September, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report detailing the environmental and climate footprint of buildings in Europe.
According to this document, over 30% of the European Union’s total ecological footprint comes from buildings, making it the sector with the most significant environmental impact.
Around a third of the materials consumed in the EU - or 1.8 billion tonnes a year - are used in construction. In addition, buildings are responsible for 42% of total energy consumption and 35% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.
The report also states that building demolition generates 333 million tonnes of waste per year, making it the largest waste stream in the EU.
Although the recycling rate for this waste exceeds 90%, it is often low-quality recycling, known as ‘downcycling’, which does not allow the materials to be fully recovered.
Faced with these issues, the EEA is demonstrating the benefits of massively renovating existing buildings using materials that have a low environmental impact throughout their life cycle.
And with good reason: this approach could considerably reduce the ecological footprint of Europe’s building stock, in particular by cutting energy consumption, which currently stands at 870 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
With an ageing population and ever-increasing urbanisation, the demand for new buildings is growing all the time. It is anticipated that many new buildings will be needed in cities, and these will have to be designed to withstand the effects of climate change.
The EEA proposes the use of natural solutions, such as green roofs, which could improve both biodiversity and rainwater management.
The report also points out that, despite the existence of a number of European policies, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (see EUROPE 13310/6) and the Renovation Wave, there is as yet no overall strategy that takes account of the entire life cycle of buildings.
To make the building sector sustainable by 2050, it is recommended that the renovation rate be doubled, that housing be accessible and affordable for all, and that citizen participation in local decision-making be encouraged.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/do9 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)