38 its NGEU (Next Generation EU)(1) program to help certain member states make environmentally-friendly investments. Elsewhere in the world, renovation is a must. In the United States, the State of New York thus implemented its ambitious Climate Mobilization Act in 2019 – 50,000 large‑sized buildings to be renovated, an €18 billion market by 2030, and the creation of 141,000 local jobs, becoming the sixth American state to adopt a “zero carbon” goal, after Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Washington. REDUCINGOPERATIONAL EMISSIONS Successfully achieving these goals relies on the trio of energy efficiency, conservation, and decarbonization. To this end, insulation (indoor and outdoor) is an essential starting point, primarily concerning a building’s envelope and glass surfaces. This is followed by installing a controlled ventilation system and high‑performance heating and air conditioning equipment. All these measures sustainably reduce the cost for occupants while providing comfort, summer and winter alike. The results can already be seen, with energy consumption reduced 5.5‑fold and CO2 emissions down 12‑fold on average. (1) European Commission economic recovery program to help EU member states recover from the Covid‑19 pandemic. A question of public health In Toronto, for example, a study of the impact of exposure to fine particles demonstrated that making residential buildings (ventilation, etc.) compliant with the Building Code would allow savings of up to $2.3 billion/year in healthcare costs(2). In France, the Ministry of Ecological Transition(3) calculates the health and social gain generated by renovating just one of the 1.3 million housing units considered to be the country’s worst “heat-leakers” at €7,500/year on average. Is there still a need to stress the health and economic benefits of building energy renovation? While the issues at stake and solutions are now known, action remains to be taken on a wider scale. (2) Impact of residential building regulations on reducing indoor exposures to outdoor PM2.5 in Toronto – Zuraimi, M.S. and Tan, Z, 2015. (3) Study “Renovating homes for energy efficiency: significant health benefits”, Ministry of Ecological Transition, March 2022. SPoTLIGHT
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