The World Green Building Council (WGBC) has launched what it claims to be the world’s largest collaborative project to improve the efficiency of existing buildings.
The ‘Build Upon’ project will comprise 80 events across Europe intending to involve more than 1,000 companies, resulting in a combined effort to retrofit their businesses with energy efficiency measures.
It will aim to develop ‘national renovation strategies’ consisting of long-term plans for how governments and industry can retrofit existing commercial buildings to higher energy efficiency standards. The strategies will be required under EU law by 30 April 2017.
The strategies will ultimately look to set ambitious energy saving targets while also establishing skills programmes to train workforces on retrofitting techniques.
Green Building Councils from 13 countries will lead the €2.35 million project, however the UK is not amongst them. Other council’s from Europe’s regional network will support it.
Organisations expected to contribute towards Build Upon include governments, local authorities, product manufacturers, energy providers, financial institutions and NGOs.
Emissions from current buildings account for more than a third (36%) of the EU’s total CO2 emissions and Terri Willis, chief executive at the WGBC, said they remained “one of Europe’s biggest challenges when it comes to tackling climate change”.
“We can turn that challenge into a solution, but need nothing short of a renovation revolution.
“Build Upon will spark that revolution by gathering an unprecedented number of key players including governments, businesses and NGOs in a collaborative community where they will work together to transform Europe’s existing buildings into green buildings,” she said.