The World Green Building Council (GBC) launched a policy for the European Union on 24th June, to accelerate progress on decarbonising buildings and construction. As one of the most heavily emitting sectors in the world, it becomes extremely pertinent for the industry to address issues of carbon impact caused by the built environment.
The roadmap proposes to the European Union an accelerated approach toward the decarbonisation of buildings and the impact of CO2 emissions from materials and construction by 2050. The majority of Europe’s structures are old and the roadmap highlights policy and energy-efficient renovations.
Through World GBC’s flagship project #BuildingLife, the EU Policy Roadmap is developed with support from 35 leading industry bodies. Ciaran Cuffe, MEP (Greens), the Rapporteur for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will deliver a keynote on the roadmap and role of buildings in tackling climate change to EU policymakers and representatives in the construction sector. A panel debate between senior industry and public sector figures was also organised.
The roadmap encourages the EU to promote measures to improve the circularity of materials and regulate carbon emissions throughout the whole process of construction and the lifecycle of the building. A failure to address carbon impact means depleting Europe’s remaining carbon budget, making EU Green Deal’s target beyond reach.
Recommendations from major business networks, industry associations, city networks, and environmental NGOs suggest that regulations should be tightened over time through the following key policies:
- Building Regulations
- Waste and Circularity
- Sustainable Procurement
- Sustainable Finance
