Green buildings crucial for cutting carbon and increasing resource efficiency

Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment, stressed the importance of sustainability in the built environment at an event on Wednesday, 21 September at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Brussels celebrating World Green Building Week – arguing that greening Europe’s building stock will deliver on the triple bottom line of people, profit and planet.

Speaking at the event, Commissioner Potočnik said:
"Greening our building stock provides unparalleled opportunities, not only to cost effectively reduce carbon emissions, but also to reduce our use of extracted materials and water. That is why building and construction are an essential part of the Commission's Roadmap for a Resource Efficient Europe, adopted this week, and why I am delighted to be part of this year’s World Green Building Week celebrations. We will need the ideas and experience of the World Green Building Council Europe Network and its members to help us deliver our vision for resource efficiency. The growth of this network already demonstrates the importance that businesses across Europe attach to green building, and the growing recognition of the significant economic and job opportunities offered by green buildings."

Commissioner Potočnik's speech is part of an event that will bring together representatives from European Green Building Councils, key stakeholders within the sustainable building industry and European government officials to introduce the work of the World Green Building Council European Network and discuss how to make the most of the opportunities that greening our built environment will present.

The WorldGBC Europe Network is chaired by Paul King, CEO of the UK Green Building Council who commented:
"The new WorldGBC Europe Network provides a unique vehicle for business to work together across the region to improve the sustainability of Europe’s built environment. There is a great opportunity for industry to work proactively with governments to unlock the considerable business benefits that can arise from radically rethinking our building practices."

Adriana Ticau, a Member of the European Parliament and the raporteur for the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, commented:
"The building sector has significant impacts on European citizens’ lives and we should focus on meeting the energy efficiency requirements both for existing and new buildings. We are serious about meeting the targets we have already set for combating climate change by 2020, and therefore we must act now, as the building sector bears a tremendous responsibility for CO2 emissions as well as for energy savings.

The public authorities should lead by example and should refurbish their buildings to become more energy efficient or nearly zero-energy buildings. Member States, local and regional authorities should use the available European funds for the improvement of the energy efficiency of the building sector and especially the flexibility mechanism that allows Member States to use 4% of the national allocation from ERDF for the energy efficiency of the housing sector. Only the proper use of these allocations will entitle us to require even more funds for energy efficiency for the building sector during the financial perspective for the period 2014-2020."

Lindsey Parnell, President and CEO of InterfaceFLOR EMEAI commented:
"With the pressure on raw materials at an all-time high, resource efficiency is even more important than ever. Closing the loop in the manufacturing of our products – redesigning our processes to recycle old product into new - is one of the many ways we as a business are striving to reduce our reliance on the Earth. But this is just the first step. In business there is nothing like competition to drive innovation and deliver the radical changes needed to ensure a sustainable future for all."

The WorldGBC Europe Network is sponsored by three regional partners – InteraceFLOR, United Technologies Corporation and Skanska.

The next event of the WGBC is the CONGRESS 2011 in Toronto, Canada
on 2 and 3 October 2011.

Further Information:
WGBC- World Green Building Council
www.worldgbc.org