The newly developed EU Buildings Climate Tracker finds that the EU is facing a growing gap in advancing towards climate neutrality in the sector. This first edition provides evidence for the urgent need for additional action that should be reflected in a transformational outcome of legislative discussions on the EPBD.

The results show that the buildings sector is not on track to achieve climate neutrality in 2050. In 2019, the index has a calculated value of 0.48 on a scale between 0 (reference situation in 2015) and 100 (climate neutrality in 2050), while it should be at 14 points. The Tracker also indicates that building decarbonisation is far from progressing at the speed needed. The achieved progress between 2015 and 2019 was a 0.12 point annual improvement, while it should have been at 3.6 points.

This means that building decarbonisation is off track and much behind the path to climate neutrality by 2050. While the index should have been at 14 points in 2019, it is barely above 0, thus at almost the same level in 2019 as in 2015. Put differently, four years of potential progress towards climate neutrality by 2050 have been lost.

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Demand Response (DR), in simple terms, refers to the ability of load to change according to the grid requirements and is not a new concept in the Indian regulatory ecosystem. DR, is a method that enables the adjustment of demand, thereby allowing customers to participate in responding to changing grid conditions. The application of DR, a proven demand management tool, can effectively help electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) in India handle their increasing future electricity demand and operate reliably in a greener grid. This paper discusses DR’s value proposition for the distribution grid and the steps to unlocking this value.’

To sustain operations in the future and achieve the goal of affordable and reliable energy supply, DISCOMs need to think beyond EE programmes and take a proactive role in engaging with consumers. In this regard, DR presents a leapfrog opportunity for DISCOMs to adapt to the realities of a cleaner grid and high electrification of demand. In the next three years, DR needs to be integrated into the fabric of DISCOM processes, along with EE. In the future, with the proliferation of more energy-efficient and controllable loads, DR programmes need to be designed with real-time applications. The future of demand resources lies in embedding DR value within the EE programmes.

Read the report here. 

This report provides quantitative evidence on the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle by investigating the level of end-use energy efficiency in the building sector that would provide the greatest benefit for the European Union in transitioning to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Three scenarios are modelled and compared in terms of energy system cost to determine the extent to which society is better off – in pure monetary terms – if end-use energy efficiency in buildings was systematically prioritized over energy supply. 

The report emphasizes that at least moderate levels of energy efficiency in buildings are needed to cost-efficiently achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Even such relatively moderate levels will have to go much beyond business-as-usual trends. In addition, the study presents ample reason to support higher levels of ambition. Most notably, end-use energy efficiency in buildings reduces the capacities and associated cost of generators, networks, storage and other energy supply technologies. 

The objective of this report is twofold. First, based on an expert workshop and a literature review, it aims to integrate the state of knowledge on the concepts of EE1st and MI. This concerns the theoretical interlinkages between the two concepts as well as the possible role of different decision-support frameworks (e.g. cost-benefit analysis) and evaluation perspectives.

Second, the report provides evidence on the magnitude of selected MI from a model-based assessment for the EE1st principle in the EU-27. Three scenarios are compared for the MI of air pollution and indoor comfort. We find that factoring in MI certainly affects the trade-off between demand-side and supply-side resources, making it critical to include them in model-based assessments in the scope of EE1st. 

In light of EU climate goals and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, significant measures are needed to decarbonise the economy, reduce energy use and future-proof the building stock. With 75% of Europeans living in urban areas and a rising focus on existing buildings to achieve full decarbonisation by 2050, there is significant opportunity and need to focus on innovative solutions in neighbourhoods and homes, beyond the individual building level. Successful decarbonisation of the EU building stock calls for an integrated, participatory and neighbourhood-based approach.

Read the full paper here. 

This “Cost Study of the Building Decarbonization Code” analyzes the incremental first cost and life cycle cost of two common building types that follow the code language in NBI’s Building Decarbonization Code. The study, which was supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), analyzes first costs for both all-electric and mixed-fuel paths for single-family and medium office prototypes. It also includes life cycle cost analysis for the single-family scenario. Ultimately, the cost study found that all-electric homes achieve construction savings and mixed-fuel buildings households are only nominally more expensive. It also found marginal additional first costs for property owners of the all-electric medium office building prototype, with most of those attributed to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Additionally, researchers determined that life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for the single-family prototypes produced both economic and societal benefits. Researchers used cost data from New York State, a relatively expensive market, in colder Climate Zone 5A.

Download the report here. 

The Green Deal, introduced by the European Commission in early 2020, aims to make the European economy carbon neutral by 2050. In order to achieve this neutrality, European countries are developing their climate roadmaps for each sector, including the building sector. In order to assist players in the sector, OID provides a study on current practices and strategies in the building sector of the following countries: France, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Read the study here.

Level(s) is a European framework to help built-environment sector professionals assess and monitor the sustainability performance of buildings. If you operate an assessment or certification scheme in the European Union, the publication "Level(s), A common language for building assessment" can help you understand how Level(s) complements your work. 

If you are interested in Level(s) but unsure where to start, don’t worry. The Level(s) eLearning programme will help you to get going. The eLearning programme is also the perfect resource for users with some experience of Level(s) who want to improve their understanding in one or more aspects of the European common language for sustainable buildings.

If you are using Level(s), the European framework for assessing the sustainability performance of buildings, you can access the European Commission’s free Calculation and Assessment Tool (CAT) to help you create Level(s) assessments for building projects. CAT is there to support you to complete life cycle assessments using Level(s) during the different phases of building design, construction and maintenance or de-construction.

In the past two years, our ambition and commitment to advance change led to achieving major advances in analysing and promoting buildings and energy demand policies, in new research on building sector policies and business models.

Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, and soaring energy prices in Europe, have led to a fundamental rethinking in the area in which we focus our work. These developments, in combination with the ever-starker warnings of the climate science community allow only one conclusion: We need to accelerate positive change and be bold, in both our thinking and our actions.

What underpins our strategic decisions and daily work is the will and desire to ask the hard questions: How can Europe become the climate champion it committed itself to be? And how can the built environment support and encourage a truly sustainable – and affordable – lifestyle for all? 

With this biennial report, we are sharing our story and achievements of the years 2020-2021 and intend to provide a window into who we are as an organisation, how we are delivering positive impact and how we are moving towards bigger thinking and bolder action so we can achieve truly climate-neutral buildings.

From residential to commercial buildings, the UK’s built environment is responsible for 25% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) warns that to date there has been a lack of Government impetus or policy levers to assess and reduce these emissions. With climate deadlines looming, urgent action is needed.

Download the report now.