A chara, – Paul Arnold asks "Is retrofitting really the answer?" (Letters, November 11th). The view from the European Parliament is a firm yes for most buildings, as generally 80 per cent of a building's greenhouse gas emissions come from their ongoing heating and cooling, and only 20 per cent from their construction.
Of course, traditional and heritage buildings must be treated with great sensitivity. The two measures Mr Arnold mentions (draught proofing and attic insulation) are often appropriate for this category of building, along with a low-energy heating system. However such buildings are in a minority and the vast bulk of buildings such as housing estates and apartment blocks can be retrofitted beyond zero-energy and even become energy producers. Improvements to the worst-performing buildings can reduce the vulnerability of those at risk of energy poverty by lowering energy prices, and so it makes sense to start with upgrades for public housing.
The operational carbon from a deep renovation is less than the amount of carbon that is emitted over time from an inefficient building. The proposed revisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive presents an opportunity to account for the embodied carbon of building materials and to incentivise the use of greener building materials. More than one third of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. It is imperative that we reduce this, and doing so can be a win-win for all concerned. – Yours, etc,
CIARÁN CUFFE MEP
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European Parliament,
Brussels.