Renovate the North > The Western world, and more generally all developed countries, is very built up and has been for centuries. Its city centers are unique: often dense, sometimes historic and are the result of a succession of architectural layers. But today, these ancient cities and the newer suburban areas that have developed around them, are no longer able to meet the demands of modern comfort let alone climate change and energy crises. So, what do we do? Knock everything down and rebuild? Or renovate extensively? In Europe, around 200 million buildings built before 2001 will still be standing in 2050. As many as 97% of existing buildings are considered energy inefficient and too dependent on fossil fuels. The European Parliament estimates that buildings account for 40% of the final energy consumption of the European Union, 36% of CO2 emissions and 55% of electricity consumption1. In the United States, the situation is no better. The International Energy Agency estimates that the 111 million buildings on American soil are responsible for around 41% of the total energy consumption of the United States, 40% of CO2 emissions and 70% of electricity consumption2. There is, therefore, a clear need to achieve a building stock aligned with the requirements of the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015 by 196 parties. By 2030, existing buildings will have to reduce their energy intensity by 35% compared to 1990 to reach around 95 kWh per square meter3 (compared to around 150 kWh per square meter today, a figure unchanged for three years). They will also need to become more energy efficient to fully meet the target of a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels). 1. "Boosting building renovation: What Potential and Value for Europe?" — European Parliament, 2016 2. "Energy Efficiency in the North American Housing Stock” — International Energy Agency 3. "Tracking Report, Buildings 2022 " — International Energy Agency, September 2022 31 CONSTRUCTING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
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