As 36 per cent of the CO2 emissions in the European Union (EU) originate from the building sector, it constitutes a key leverage point to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EU aims at reaching a climate-neutral building stock in 2050. Thus, the EU Renovation Wave and the Circular Economy Action Plan aspire to deliver more sustainable buildings through intensified renovation activities. According to the new EU Energy Efficiency Directive proposal, the public sector needs to ensure that 3 per cent of floor space in public buildings is renovated annually. This also applies to municipal buildings. Hence, efficiency requirements must be included in public procurement procedures as well. However, although public buildings should act as role models for private sector renovations, Germany, Hungary, and Romania can still draw on a lot of untapped potential regarding the average annual renovation rate required by the European Commission.

Building with renewable raw materials, Photo: ©Catharina Niemann

The SURF project contributed to the transformation process of reaching a climate-neutral building sector by stimulating deep and sustainable building renovation at the municipal level and beyond. It focused on employees working in the municipal building management as they are responsible for the practical implementation of renovations and, thus, are believed to trigger a paradigm shift in sustainable energy renovation from the ground up. SURF brought together forerunner municipalities in transnational workshops with municipalities from Germany, Hungary, and Romania to learn from their experiences, best practices, and successful concepts. Apart from this peer-to-peer learning approach, the project conducted a circular building training series and provides a practical guideline for green public procurement, a sustainability checklist for renovations as well as fact sheets and materials on an online platform. Moreover, SURF connected municipalities and architects, industrial actors, homeowners’ associations, and housing companies EU-wide through informal online “renovation lunches” and a policy conference. This transnational SURF network fosters and implements sustainable renovations and directs its planning, permitting, and tendering activities towards achieving a climate-neutral building stock.

• Municipal expertise and European networks strengthened: Through training, peer-to-peer formats and the broad participation of over 280 experts from Germany, Romania and Hungary (including Berlin, Mannheim, Freiberg, Bucharest, Ploiești, Ajka, Budaörs and Szeged), the project strengthened the ability of municipalities to strategically plan and implement sustainable building refurbishment. The transnational exchange promoted stable networks between administration, science and civil society. 
• Practical knowledge and tools for sustainable refurbishment made available: The project disseminated 21 European good practices on refurbishment, the circular economy and green procurement and provided municipalities with practical tools such as factsheets, checklists and guidelines. These tools facilitate the concrete implementation of sustainable building measures at municipal level. 
• Political and structural changes initiated at municipal level: The project work led to concrete political and institutional steps in several cities, including new planning approaches, committees and refurbishment decisions. Examples include a SECAP with a life cycle approach in Ajka, new governance structures in Budaörs and the prioritisation of refurbishment over demolition in several Hungarian municipalities. 

Video

Building renovation is essential to our future. Watch this video:

EUKI SURF