If you want to help shape EU plans for a more sustainable built environment, it is time to have your say by responding to a consultation that supports the development of a new Commission roadmap for reducing whole life carbon in the building sector.

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. Circular economy practices and measures contribute to reducing these emissions. 

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. The public consultation invites interested parties to share their views in order to guide the development of the roadmap.

The consultation runs until 15 September.

The consultation document and background materials can be accessed here.