To meet European environmental objectives an umbrella organisation of trade associations for developers and house-builders has set out proposals.
The UK’s NHBC and HBF are members of Build Europe, whose Green Deal and Renovation Wave report includes 21 proposals aimed at helping make Europe carbon-neutral without disregarding the housing needs of EU citizens.
The report urges EU policymakers to adopt measures such as comprehensive and widespread housing stock renovation, and enhanced use of new digital tools, and ambitious training and communication programme, and the introduction of financing tools and investment support.
Specific proposals covered in the 16-page report include increasing the digitalisation of the house-building sector, developing and increasing the use of simulation tools, fostering renovation through simplified planning, converting non-residential buildings into housing, promoting direct aid for rehabilitation, encouraging off-site modular construction, and increasing skills through initiation and finance of a ‘MasterChef’ type European television programme to promote jobs related to renovation.
President of Build Europe, Marc Pigeon, said: “If we want to achieve ambitious renovation objectives, it is not enough to support renovation by private individuals or public operators as in the past. It is necessary to move faster and stronger and to do so we must rely on private operators, developers and housebuilders, to restructure and renovate on a larger scale”.
Build Europe managing director, Fillep Loosveldt added: “We believe we are well placed to develop effective proposals to inform the work of the European institutions and member states. Our blueprint is designed to bring the EU institutions closer to the citizens they serve, and give Europeans the homes they desire.
EEuropeans the homes they desire”.