Study on cost and benefits of working towards environmental macro objectives in the building sector : final report and annex

The European Commission's 2014 Communication on Resource Efficiency Opportunities in the Building Sector identifies the need for a common EU approach to assess the environmental performance of buildings. This is structured in six environmental macro objectives: 1) reducing greenhouse gas emissions from building life cycle energy use, 2) resource efficient and circular material life cycles, 3) efficient use of water resources, 4) healthy and comfortable spaces, 5) adaptation and resilience to climate change, and 6) optimised life cycle cost and value. This study explores the possibility to implement mature and easy-to-implement actions for each of these macro objectives formulating a concise action package for each one of the six macro objectives. The actions put forward are relevant for buildings across Europe and can be applied to a significant portion of the European building stock addressing the needs of both new and existing, residential and office buildings. The potential costs and benefits of implementing these actions are highlighted through real-life case studies and interviews with sector experts. For each of the macro objectives, a significant performance improvement can be achieved through actions of either small or near-zero cost, such as focusing on user behavioural change and implementing controls to manage the efficient use of resources. The potential of the action packages is maximised when the macro objectives are considered, applying a life-cycle approach, early in the design phase of a building.