Ilari Aho Ilari Aho, Chair of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) > O.R. : At the BPIE, we have developed a "Building Renovation Passport” dedicated to these specific projects. This tool defines the steps that will need to be taken in order to future-proof a building. In particular, it allows us to address a dual challenge: reducing the environmental impact of the project and improving its resilience to climate change. One intervention, one investment. Are there enough sustainability experts? O.R. : Not yet. And this also presents a real business opportunity. There is strong demand within the construction sector for innovative services to support property owners and developers in their decarbonization efforts. I.A. : More and more people are being trained and employed in these areas and there are many competent people coming out of universities today. I am quite optimistic that these experts will become more and more naturally integrated into the decision-making processes of construction projects. O.R. : The paradox is that, on the ground, we are also suffering from a real shortage of skilled workers. The sector will therefore need to invest in training and upgrading the skills of the existing workforce in order to increase its attractiveness. Innovation and digitization can help with this. In Europe, the majority of buildings currently standing do not meet sustainability standards. What do you recommend? Do we need to raze historic cities to the ground and start again from scratch? I.A. : Of course not! Quite the opposite, in fact. In essence, a building that has been used for centuries is more sustainable than a building constructed in the 1970s or 80s. But what has changed is the way in which we use these buildings. With our electrical and electronic equipment and our artificial lighting, we create a much higher internal heat load than in the past. Very old buildings are therefore faced with the dual challenge of external climate change and changes to their internal use. In the future, our historic districts will need to be able to withstand double or even triple the amount of rainfall. We therefore need to improve the resilience of historic cities without jeopardizing their historical and cultural value. O.R. : Indeed, the prerequisite is to ensure that historic buildings are able to cope with the consequences of climate change while continuing to provide residents with a safe and healthy environment, even in extreme weather conditions. The road ahead is long, as some urban areas are completely covered with artificial coatings that are unable to absorb rainwater. So, without going so far as to demolish the buildings, we need to consider building the infrastructure differently and creating spaces to bring nature back into cities. We need to consider our buildings as part of a larger ecosystem and ask ourselves what each of them can contribute to their immediate environment. Indeed, buildings can contribute to the overall resilience of an entire neighborhood, for example with green roofs absorbing excess rain. So, by multiplying these adaptations, we can clearly increase the resilience of the entire city to the consequences of climate change while preserving its soul. 37 CONSTRUCTING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
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