There is an ever-growing list of rules and regulations for enterprises to get their heads around when it comes to sustainability, but what can they do to keep on top of things?
Bringing down emissions from buildings to zero might be the hardest nut to crack for the European Green Deal. With heating and cooling in buildings responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of emissions, the importance of its decarbonisation is paramount.
As the current annual renovation rate is below 1% and more than 70% of heating in buildings is supplied by old and inefficient boilers, buildings are unanimously recognised as a hard-to-decarbonise sector by the European Renovation Wave Strategy published in October 2020, the European Union (EU) Energy Efficiency Directive (EED)and various strategies of individual European Member States.
Due to the heterogeneity of the building stock and climatic conditions in Europe, a one-solution-fits-all approach will bring more headaches than benefits. A range of solutions will be needed to supply efficient and increasingly renewable heat to and in buildings. It will include reducing demand, direct electrification, district heating, h