Today, consumers are acutely aware of the carbon footprint of their mobility habits and are increasingly taking into account environmental concerns when buying a car or travelling.
The European legislation has supported this heightened awareness with a strict framework for carbon reductions in the mobility sector. These constraints have resulted in significant CO2 emission reductions in new passenger cars over the last decade and in a strong development of electric vehicles.
A different approach based on mandatory energy-efficiency constraints and optional GHG-efficiency standards has been adopted in the building sector. This approach gives no incentive to assess and improve the carbon footprint of buildings. With the building sector accounting for more than a third of European GHG emissions, and a stagnant annual renovation rate of around 1% of the building stock, EdEn believes that decarbonisation should be put at the center of the European policy for buildings. The upcoming renovation wave strategy is a key opportunity to adopt for the building sector the same approach that has been adopted for the automotive sector, and to focus on reducing carbon emissions.
