The planet has exceeded the 1.5°C limit established in the Paris Agreement, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), a situation that has serious consequences for our planet such as heat waves, droughts and forest fires. This demands urgent climate action.
The European Union's fight against global warming: Green Deal and Renovation Wave
In 2019, the European Union presented the Green Deal to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050.
The construction sector is considered one of the main emitters of greenhouse gases, responsible for more than a third of emissions within the EU. It is estimated that approximately 75% of buildings are currently inefficient from an energy point of view and it is also expected that in 2050, between 85 and 95% of the current housing stock will still be standing. For this reason, and with the aim of decarbonizing the sector, the European Commission presented the "Renovation Wave" initiative that aims to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in Europe.
Key Directives
To improve the energy efficiency of buildings, the EU has established a legislative framework including the revised Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EU/2024/1275) and the revised Energy Efficiency Directive (EU/2023/1791). These directives, among other measures, stand out for:
- Directive (EU) 2023/1791: Establishes the principle of “energy efficiency first” as a fundamental principle of EU energy policy, which in practical terms means that EU countries must take energy efficiency into account in all relevant investment policies and decisions.
- Directive (EU) 2024/1275: This directive will oblige Member States to create single windows (OSS) to advise and finance energy rehabilitation projects.
Spanish Context
En España, el Plan Nacional Integrado de Energía y Clima (PNIEC) busca rehabilitar el 3% del parque inmobiliario anual, aunque actualmente solo se logra un 0,8%.
In the country there are approximately 26.9 million homes and more than 50% of the Spanish real estate stock was built before 1980 (13.5 million) before the entry into force of regulations on energy efficiency, which makes them an objective priority for rehabilitation.
Furthermore, around 86.9% of homes in Spain are classified in categories E, F or G, which represent the lowest levels of energy efficiency and are outside the limits allowed by Directive (EU) 2024/1275 for 2033.
GiDomus: Local Impact, Global Projection
In this context, the LIFE-GiDomus project is presented, inspired by the Domus program of the Europace Foundation, whose single window model aims to accelerate energy rehabilitation in the province of Girona. With the opening of seven offices planned until 2026, it is expected to promote the rehabilitation of 15,000 homes by 2032, with an investment of 260 MEUR.
GiDomus seeks to become a point of reference for different social agents and ordinary citizens to be able to carry out the relevant initiatives in the field of energy rehabilitation of residential buildings. Through a comprehensive support service, the project will speed up and simplify the reform process, energize the local economy, train professionals and create synergies with existing initiatives to maximize the impact.
Towards a Sustainable Future
One-stop shops like GiDomus are key to facilitating the energy transition and reducing emissions. Through innovation and global cooperation, it is possible to generate a positive impact that begins locally and amplifies globally.