Long Term Strategy for the Renovation of Flemish Buildings
Introduction:
The Flemish Climate Strategy 2050, which was adopted by the Flemish Government on 20 December 2019, includes the goal of achieving a reduction of 85% in the greenhouse gas emissions of the nonETS sectors by 2050 (compared to 2005), with the ambition of proceeding to full climate neutrality. For the building sector, our aim is to reduce the emissions of the Flemish building stock to 2.3 Mt CO2 equivalent by 2050. This is subdivided into the following indicative targets for 2050:Flemish buildings, with a 28% share, make the second-largest contribution to total non-ETS greenhouse gas emissions in Flanders. Moving towards a low-carbon society by 2050, therefore, requires even greater efforts to make the building sector more sustainable through deep renovation and a shift towards sustainable heating.
Flemish buildings, with a 28% share, make the second-largest contribution to total non-ETS greenhouse gas emissions in Flanders. Moving towards a low-carbon society by 2050, therefore, requires even greater efforts to make the building sector more sustainable through deep renovation and a shift towards sustainable heating. A Flemish long-term renovation strategy for 2050 has been drawn up on the basis of the activities in the Renovation Pact, among others, and stakeholder consultation in the context of Rapid Acceleration Working Groups and the Energy Poverty Programme. This strategy implements Article 2a of the EPBD (Directive 2010/31/EU) concerning long-term renovation strategies for buildings.
Flemish Policy Context:
The Flemish long-term renovation strategy for buildings is part of a number of broader strategies of
the Flemish Region. On 9 December 2019, the Flemish Government finally approved the Flemish Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030. Flanders aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the non-ETS sectors by 35% by 2030, compared to 2005. The Flemish Climate Strategy 2050, which was approved by the Flemish Government on 20 December 2019, includes the aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the non ETS sectors by 85% by 2050 (compared to 2005), with the ambition to move towards full climate neutrality.
Long-term strategy for energy-efficient buildings:
The Flemish Region is aiming to reduce the emissions from the Flemish building stock to 2.3 Mt CO2 equivalent by 2050. This is achieved by means of combining far-reaching energy efficiency and control of energy consumption through digitisation with increasing sustainability of the residual demand for electricity and heating. These efforts will also be continued after 2050 to make our building stock fully climate neutral as quickly as possible. In addition to reducing the direct emissions, efforts are also being made to reduce the indirect carbon and materials footprint of our building stock. In order to limit the greenhouse gas emissions, each of the following building characteristics will be addressed:
– Energy performance of the building envelope (roof, facade, woodwork and glazing, floors);
– Compactness (volume and building’s surface area of heat loss) and orientation, especially in the case of reconstruction or new construction;
– Energy carriers (natural gas, fuel oil, electricity, etc.) and heating techniques
Composition Of The Flemish Housing Stock:
The Flemish housing stock is characterised by a high proportion of old buildings. Approximately 55% of the single-family houses and just over 40% of the apartment buildings in Flanders are pre-1970s. The year of construction of a considerable proportion of single-family houses (28.5%) is before World War II. The year of construction is established on the basis of the land registry data. It must be borne in mind that in some cases there have already been major renovations, while the original date of construction was still maintained.
Public buildings:
Public buildings are defined as: buildings located in the Flemish Region in which public organisations are located that provide public services to a large number of people and which are frequently visited by the public. This refers to buildings of:
– the federal authorities, including parastatal agencies;
– the Flemish authorities, including internal and external autonomous agencies;
– the provincial authorities;
– the municipal authorities, including public centres for social welfare;
– public undertakings;
– all educational institutions;
– welfare services;
– healthcare services.
Conclusion:
For non-residential buildings, the strategy provides for a mix of measures of both an incentive and a regulatory nature. It is expected that the announced measures will be adequate to increase the renovation rate for non-residential buildings sufficiently to achieve the stable level necessary to renovate the entire building stock by 2050 to the long-term objective of 2050. The exemplary role imposed by the Region on public buildings must provide inspiration for the other segments.