> 3. Time Magazine, The Empire State Building’s Green Retrofit Was a Success. Will Other Buildings Follow Suit? 2021. 4. World Bank, Green Buildings: A Finance and Policy Blueprint for Emerging Markets, 2019. 5. Renovate Europe, Building Renovation: a kick-starter for the EU economy, 2020. 6. The Lancet Planetary Health, Impact on mortality of pathways to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in England and Wales: a multisectoral modelling study, 2023. 7. The Guardian, Net zero by 2050 in England and Wales equals ‘extra 2m years of life', 2023. • A dramatic reduction in energy bills. The famous Empire State Building in New York, which became too energy-intensive and therefore unattractive for companies that rented offices there, has benefited from an ambitious energy renovation. The result is that the iconic skyscraper has been revitalized without losing its soul. It has regained its appeal and has a higher occupancy rate thanks to a 38% reduction in energy consumption3 – translating into savings of $4.4 million per year on electricity bills. However, above all, this huge renovation project has seen a return on investment in just over three years. • Reduced operational and maintenance costs. According to the World Bank, lower energy consumption is thought to reduce operational costs by up to 37%4. Evidence to support this comes from a real estate operation in Indonesia, where the inhabitants of a sustainable building in the Citra Maja Raya development, saw a significant decrease in their monthly electricity bills, from €50 (when they lived in unsustainable housing) to €13. The savings, which are significant in this case, naturally vary from project to project. However, a report published by the World Green Building Council estimates that, on average, the energy savings achieved in a sustainable building are around 25%-35% and can even be as high as 39% for water resources. • Less spending on public health. The health costs linked to poor quality housing in France amount to €930 million each year. However, the think tank BPIE, commissioned by the European Union as part of the Renovate Europe campaign5, goes even further. It estimates that, in reality, the shortfall for the French government amounts to €20 billion annually, as the indirect cost of these health problems (absenteeism, decreased productivity, etc.) must also be taken into account. In Great Britain, a study conducted by Dr James Milner of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine shows, in comparison, a substantial gain of 836,000 years of life in the event of mass housing renovation6. In Dr Milner’s opinion: "The central role played by retrofitting homes with insulation in delivering these health benefits is particularly striking”.7 70 SAINT-GOBAIN
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTA2Nw==