Health and Wellbeing Factors Will Be Key When Developing Environmental Performance Indicators for Buildings
The construction sector plays an important role in the environmental performance of buildings throughout their lifecycle. Therefore, the European Commission has decided to develop an EU common framework of environmental performance indicators for buildings with a view to encourage design improvements and increase the durability and recyclability of the buildings’ components. This initiative is part of the broader Circular Economy Action Plan issued by the Commission in December 2015, which outlines actions to be taken at EU level in the coming years across all sectors towards achieving a resource efficient Circular economy model.
The Commission initiated the process of developing these indicators in June 2015, with a kick-off meeting of the dedicated Stakeholder Working Group. Active House participated in the meeting among other recognised stakeholders in the building sector, and contributed to the development of macro-objectives for resource efficient buildings, which will lead to the identification of indicators. These macro objectives have now been finalised by the Commission and will be translated into environmental performance indicators of buildings during 2016.
The final set of macro objectives identified by the Commission and stakeholders focus onbuildings’ GHG emissions, material efficiency, efficient use of water resources, resilience to climate change and optimisation of their lifecycle cost and value, and last but not least, on theirdesign as healthy and comfortable spaces. Additional macro-objectives were also identified for later potential development as indicators, notably on the provision of a healthy and comfortable indoor environment with good air quality, ventilation, natural light and temperature. Based on these macro-objectives, the Commission will make proposals for indicators, which will be subject of a public consultation for all interested stakeholders, and will be discussed at the second Stakeholder Working Group meeting due to take place in autumn 2016.
For the full report of the European Commission see here.
