The European Union’s energy and climate targets depend heavily on the building sector, as buildings are the biggest consumer of energy in Europe – three quarters of the roughly 220 million buildings in Europe built before 2001 are not energy efficient, according to the Council of the EU . data Thanks to the European Green Deal, the intended goals are very ambitious: carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990, and climate neutrality must be achieved by 2050. To reach the target set by 2030, the EU will have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by 60%, final energy consumption by 14% and energy consumption for heating and cooling by 18%.

As a result, the renovation of old buildings becomes mandatory, since most of them will be operated for another decade, while new buildings must be built with environmentally friendly materials and with high energy standards. Around 35 million buildings across Europe will benefit from the energy rehabilitation process as part of the Green Deal. Under a previous agreement reached last December by the European Parliament and the European Council, all residential and non-residential buildings must also be zero-emission for public buildings and from 1 January 2030 for all other new buildings.

How the construction sector can become sustainable

Cement and steel have a high carbon intensity due to the raw materials and fuels used to produce them. About a fifth of the emissions recorded by infrastructure and building construction come from steel and cement production, according to PwC’s analysis of the need for green materials, Sustainability by Design: A Green Building Materials Sourcing Framework.

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The article was signed by Dina Bumbeca, managing partner of PwC in Romania

Article supported by PwC Romania