1. Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe -and what about buildings?
Josefina Lindblom
European Commission – DG environment

2. Scheme of my presentation
A resource constraint world
What is Resource Efficiency?
European policy context
The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe
What about buildings?

3. A resource constraint world

4. World Footprint = 1.3 earths
ONLY ONE EARTH
World Footprint = 1.3 earths

5. Growth of the World Economy
2050
2010
1950

6. Increased globalization
Source: Eurostat Comext Statistics, EEA 2010, The European Environment, State and Outlook 2010 : Thematic Assessment – Material Resources and Waste 6

7. Growing Resource Use
Source: EEA 2010 derived from SERI GLOBAL 2000, Friends of the Earth Europe (2009) 7

8. What is Resource Efficiency?

9. Resource Efficiency: Doing more with less
raw materials:
minerals-fuels-biomass
Sustainable management and use of resources throughout their life cycle
Producing more value while living, producing and consuming within the physical and biological limits of the planet
ecosystems–biodiversity – water –land and soils – air – marine resources

10. What can resource efficiency bring to the economy and society?
New business opportunities (innovation, eco-industries), new skilled jobs
Competitiveness and cost savings for European businesses
Better food/water/energy security
Reducing environmental impacts and avoiding depletion of natural resources

11. (Source: Wuppertal Institute)

12. What to do? Breaking down barriers
Market failures – environmental and social costs not considered, decisions not factoring in the long-term
Policy failures –inconsistent market signals, uncertainty, slow reform of policy (e.g. subsidies)
“Lock-ins” and system effects – Infrastructure, consumption patterns and business models 12

13. European policy context

14. EU 2020 Strategy
Adopted in 2010: the course for EU economy for the next 10 years and beyond – 3 main priorities
Smart Growth – focus on education, research
Sustainable Growth – low carbon, resource efficiency
Inclusive Growth – high-employment, delivering economic, social, territorial cohesion

15. 7 Flagship initiatives, incl. “Resource Efficient Europe”
Communication January 2011
Roadmap September 2011

16. The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe

17. Communication “The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe
Adopted on 20 September 2011
Outline the key challenges and opportunities: “A fundamental transformation within a generation”
Policy changes to tackle resource inefficiencies for the EU, Member State, Regions and for business

18. The main lines of the Roadmap
Three time lines
long term 2050 vision (short-termism)
milestones for 2020
actions to be taken now
Three action lines
Transforming the economy
Addressing natural capital
Tackling key sectors
Accompanied by governance and monitoring

19. Transforming the economy
Address bottlenecks and barriers to resource efficiency
Get the prices right (reflect environm. externalities)
Tackling inefficient subsidies
Shifting from labour to resource taxation
Stimulate innovative forward thinking
Boost resource efficiency in production, consumption and waste management
Translation to economic sectors & new business models

20. Policies across the Life-Cycle of Products
Natural Resources
Better Products
Disposal
Leaner Production
Waste & Recycling
Smarter Consumption
Eco-innovation

21. Sustainable consumption and production
Reduce resource use and limit environmental impact of production and consumption
Companies & production
Products
Demand & consumption
End of life
Poor performance
Good performance

22. Tackling key resources
Ecosystem services
Biodiversity
Minerals and metals
Water
Air
Land and soils
Marine resources
Interactions

23. Turning waste into a resource
Prevention
Re-use
Recycling
Recovery
Disposal 23

24. Turning waste into a resource
PREVENTION
REUSE
RECYCLING
RECOVERY
DISPOSAL

25. Tackling key sectors Food
Reducing food waste and tackling animal proteins
Addressing phosphorus
Mobility
Resource efficiency objectives in transport
Housing / buildings

26. Tackling key sectors: buildings
Facts
42 % of our final energy consumption
> 50 % of all extracted materials – most of them minerals
33 % of waste
Milestones by 2020
Life-cycle approach applied for all new and renovated buildings
Existing building stock “resource efficient” refurbished at a rate of 2 % per year
70 % of construction and demolition waste recycled.
Thus strong incentives, both environmentally and economically to use less material.
Recycled CD waste corresponds to just 40% of total available CD waste (6% of the total European aggregates demand).

27. Governance
Implement at all levels – EU, Member States, regions, internationally (RIO+20) …
Concerted action with business, scientists and society
Engage with stakeholders to set targets and use appropriate indicators by 2013
Using initially “resource productivity” together with land, water and carbon indicators
National resource efficiency strategies

28. Opportunities for business
By 2050 we need a 4-10x increase in resource efficiency (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)
$3.5 trillion gains in improving resource efficiency (McKinsey)
New businesses – first mover advantages
Security against future price fluctuations
Winners are those who prepare for resource constraints in a predictable and controlled way, before shortages and price hikes hit

29. What about buildings?

30. Tackling key sectors: buildings
Fact
Construction and buildings impact our environment
Some initial thoughts
How to apply the life-cycle approach for buildings?
How can the component and system levels complement each other?
How can we trigger more information on resource use/environmental performance?
How do we recognize a green building, throughout Europe?
What would be necessary to step up the “resource efficient refurbishment” rate to 2% per year?
Do we know enough about the existing stock? Resource inventories?
New and better ways to get same or higher functionality with less resource intensive materials, new technologies and approaches to design?
Operational vs embedded energy?
Urban mining and reuse in higher value applications than today? Closing loops?
Increasing space per person, does it matter?