In October 2020 the European Commission launched the Renovation Wave Strategy, a plan aiming at reducing the energy performance of the EU building stock and at least doubling the renovation rates by 2030. As reported by the Commission initiative, ‘buildings are responsible for about 40% of the EU’s energy consumption, and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions from energy. But only 1% of buildings undergo energy-efficient renovation every year, so effective action is crucial to making Europe climate-neutral by 2050.’.
As a promoter of Plus Energy Buildings, Cultural-E strongly welcomes the Renovations Wave Strategy and embraces its three areas of priority:
- decarbonisation of heating and cooling;
- tackling energy poverty and worst-performing buildings;
- renovation of public buildings (such as schools, hospitals, and administrative buildings).
Furthermore, the Renovation Wave Strategy has been complemented by the New European Bauhaus, a secondinitiative with the scope of bringing into the discussion architecture and design as added values to buildings. The ambition of the New European Bauhaus is to create a ‘bridge between the world of science and technology and the world of art and culture’ and promoting itself as a multidisciplinary movement.
To meet these objectives a few solutions are mentioned, for instance mobilising designers, architects, engineers, scientists, students, and creative minds across disciplines to rethink sustainable ways of living in Europe. This is a great encouragement for the Cultural-E project, which brings climate and cultural factors to the center of its research. To know more about the NEB, read the statement written by our partner Architects’ Council of Europe.
At Cultural-e, we think that a step-change is required to promote Plus Energy Buildings into mainstream practice, and European initiatives as the mentioned ones above are key to make this happen.
If you would like to take part in this conversation, the European Commission ran an Info Day on Wednesday 24 February with a particular focus on architecture and design. You can watch the recording here.
