EuroACE welcomes the drive towards sustainable buildings and recalls that it should start with energy efficiency

In its comments to the European Commission’s public consultation on sustainable buildings, EuroACE supported the EU’s move towards a greater focus on the long-term viability and value of our buildings, through work on their environmental, social and economic impact.

To achieve a high level of sustainability, a high energy performance is the crucial first parameter, for both new and existing buildings: buildings that do not have a high energy performance cannot be considered as sustainable. Any policy initiative towards sustainability should build on the existing policy frame and widen the scope of impacts in an incremental and holistic manner.