Have your say on the development of a new roadmap to reduce whole life carbon in the building sector

Why do we need a roadmap for decarbonising buildings?

Decarbonising Europe’s buildings in line with the EU’s climate commitments requires a significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout their whole life cycle. This encompasses in-use emissions caused by the operation of buildings and embodied emissions related to the production, construction, renovation and deconstruction of buildings, including the materials used for these processes. Until now, there was no reliable estimate of the EU building stock’s total greenhouse gas emissions, preventing targeted approaches to transform the sector in line with a net zero carbon future. While a smaller set of EU Member States has gathered data and set out national roadmaps and strategies, an EU-wide roadmap for the reduction of whole life cycle emissions of buildings has not yet been developed.

To address this need, the European Commission set out, in the Renovation Wave, to develop a roadmap for the reduction of whole life carbon in the building sector. The intention is to provide an overview of the importance of life cycle thinking in addressing building emissions and to set out the need for targeted building-related measures to reduce these emissions. This effort is supported by a technical study providing the underlying evidence base, as well as a consultation process engaging relevant stakeholders and expert working groups. The study, carried out by Ramboll, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) and Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) sets a baseline for building emissions across the EU and outlines how all building-related emissions (both operational and embodied) can be mitigated by 2050. The public consultation invites interested parties to share their views in order to guide the development of the roadmap.

How to respond to the consultation?

The consultation opens on 24 May and runs until 19 July. The consultation document and background materials can be accessed here.