“Collaboration is essential, and it does not require policies. It is simply a question of self-organization.”

We have seen in the past year the recent emergence of initiatives such as the Buildings Breakthrough and Chaillot Declaration. What do these initiatives tell us about the sector?

Both the Buildings Breakthrough and the Chaillot Declaration provide a much-needed global momentum to reduce the carbon footprint of Buildings and Construction.

Both initiatives are a big achievement because they create a formal global commitment for all the actors in the sector, from policymakers to business and industry. They are really complementary, the Buildings Breakthrough is anchored in the UNFCCC process¹, and the Chaillot Declaration is a bottom-up initiative supported by 70 governments from around the world, which resulted in the creation of the International Council on Buildings and Climate, which had its inaugural meeting at COP29 in Baku (Azerbaidjan).

The Chaillot process outlined a comprehensive set of actions to decarbonize the construction sector, offering an opportunity for the industry to collaborate with governments and transform these commitments into meaningful, impactful actions. The Chaillot Declaration sets a benchmark for tracking progress, with the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction² playing a key role in monitoring advancements through its annual Global Status Report.

Also Read/Listen: What is the Declaration de Chaillot?

¹ The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is one of three conventions that was adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to promote a sustainable planet for future generations.

² The GlobalABC is a multi-stakeholder alliance committed to delivering a zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector.

What could be the role of European Institutions in empowering sustainable construction? Can Europe take on this leadership role?

Europe is facing quite a long list of crises. It is still very much dependent on importing the energy needed to heat its buildings, and at the same time we are wasting energy in leaky homes. Then there is the affordability issue as many people find it increasingly hard to rent or buy a home. The economy is also not developing in a way that many would like to see, and within this context the construction industry is also suffering. And then of course we see the growing impacts of climate change, and we see an overall increase of uncertainty and anxiety in society. All this can be daunting and scary, no doubt, and there is no simple solution to all of this.

Also Read/Listen: How does finance support the development of sustainable construction?

We know that the construction sector has solutions to meet the challenges facing Europe. These solutions don’t just have an environmental impact. Because if we make our buildings more efficient, healthier and more affordable, we also contribute to reducing anxiety within society.

But the building sector can provide many solutions to these issues, and so it’s only logical that the EU defines clear targets and action plans for the sector to deliver these solutions.

For example, the EU should ensure that energy efficiency – stopping the waste of energy – is a top priority in policy implementation. Not only be repeating that efficiency should come first, but by integrating it into the 2040 climate target which will be defined by the new Commission. And by ensuring that member states have effective efficiency policies in place. That would be an enormously important contribution to Europe’s energy security. Every unit of energy which we don’t consume is a contribution to security and independence.

Also Read/Listen: Energy-efficiency best practices

The EU should also make innovation in construction a core element of the Clean Industrial Deal³. This needs to tackle two sides:

1. Making construction materials a lot less carbon intensive

2. Making construction processes on site, e.g. the renovation of facades, much faster, cleaner and cheaper.

This would stimulate economic growth and increase competitiveness, exactly what the Clean Industrial Deal wants to achieve.

And when we talk about sustainable construction, we must not forget the social aspects. Sustainable construction also means that buildings are healthy, affordable and create an environment which is cohesive for society. The EU can do a lot to support this by having targeted financial support programmes which support sustainable redevelopment of neglected areas. This is one strategy to support European citizens directly, address affordability of housing and help citizens to understand how important the EU is for daily lives.

³ In July, Ursula von der Leyen presented her political guidelines to the European Parliament, outlining key objectives for the first 100 days of her new mandate. Among them was the announcement of a “Clean Industrial Deal,” part of the EU’s plan to boost sustainable prosperity, competitiveness, and decarbonization, while reducing energy prices.

What can the sector do to support these efforts and provide more alignment and efficiency? 

The sector is very fragmented. One of the first things to do is to increase collaboration along the value chain. Because it is not efficient if one group in this value chain, e.g. architects, makes efforts to improve sustainability, but the technical solutions are not offered in an affordable manner by the construction industry. So collaboration is essential, and it does not require policies. It is simply a question of self-organization.

Also Read/Listen: Architects’ views on sustainable construction

Collaboration is essential, and it does not require policies. It is simply a question of self-organization.

The sector should also facilitate investment by offering performance guarantees for its solutions and projects. This would reduce investment risks and, in turn, lower costs.

Third, the renovation offers for the customer should be comprehensive and collaborative. We need to establish a renovation service industry which delivers comprehensive and affordable renovations which are reliable and can be trusted. If people feel that a renovation investment is not risky, they will find it a lot easier to invest.

Fourth, invest in innovation and transparency. The sector is one of the least innovative economic sectors, and that needs to change. Politically it means that we have a much more supportive environment for start-ups in Europe. From a business perspective it would mean that more investment is going into innovation, and that innovative products and services have a much shorter lead time to market.

Also Read/Listen: Climate Change: six startups revolutionizing the construction Industry