Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BUILD UPON2 (Supporting public sector's capacity and leadership in decarbonising Europe's building stock, through the development of a multi-level renovation impact framework)
Reporting period: 2020-04-01 to 2021-11-30
BUILD UPON2 aims to address one of the key issues related to building renovation: the lack of monitoring of its impact and benefits. The aim of the project is to support cities to play a central role in the design and implementation of the LTRS through the development of a multi-level renovation impact Framework (the BUILD UPON Framework) containing a suite of milestones and measurable progress indicators enabling cities to track and monitor their renovation activities and their impact.
One of the closest monitoring and reporting schemes is that of the Sustainable Energy Actions Plans (SECAPs) within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM). The Project builds upon this initiative and aligns with its monitoring scheme to support and strengthen building renovation follow-up, while it is aligned with the LTRS targets.
To meet the EU’s energy efficiency targets for 2030, and the long-term goal under the revised EPBD to decarbonise its building stock by 2050, renovation becomes crucial.
The 2018 recast of the EPBD strengthened the role of the LTRS and obliged Member States to set out a roadmap to a decarbonised building stock by 2050, supported by a suite of measurable progress indicators and milestones. This is exactly what the BUILD UPON2 project has done – develop these indicators and capture the multiple benefits of renovation.
Moreover, the BUILD UPON Framework is a crucial tool to deliver the EU’s Renovation Wave and contribute to its ambitious plan to at least double the renovation rate by 2030, on the local level.
The objectives of the project have been met by building upon and creating synergies with existing public and private sector initiatives such as BUILD UPON, the LTRS monitoring requirements, the follow-up implied in SECAPs and the WorldGBC Advancing Net Zero (ANZ) project.
The overall objective of the project is to build political commitment of cities to establish strategies to decarbonise their building stock, setting the BUILD UPON Framework as a blueprint for implementing EPBD 2018 and connecting CoM cities to a network of high impact initiatives to progress their strategies.
The aim of the Framework is to become a tool for monitoring the impact of building renovation at city level, aligned with national and European targets. The Framework captures not only the usual climate and energy impacts of renovation, but also the wider environmental, economic and social benefits that the improvement of the building stock has a strong nexus with.
The project is led by 8 national Green Building Councils (GBCs) across Europe (see countries in next section) alongside the Building Performance Institute of Europe (BPIE), and the Covenant of Mayors via Climate Alliance (CA).
Further, each GBC in each country is working closely with a Pilot City who has tested the Framework from July 2020. Finally, three follower cities per country have been provided with training materials to enable them to roll out the Framework.
One of the closest monitoring and reporting schemes is that of the Sustainable Energy Actions Plans (SECAPs) within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM). The Project builds upon this initiative and aligns with its monitoring scheme to support and strengthen building renovation follow-up, while it is aligned with the LTRS targets.
To meet the EU’s energy efficiency targets for 2030, and the long-term goal under the revised EPBD to decarbonise its building stock by 2050, renovation becomes crucial.
The 2018 recast of the EPBD strengthened the role of the LTRS and obliged Member States to set out a roadmap to a decarbonised building stock by 2050, supported by a suite of measurable progress indicators and milestones. This is exactly what the BUILD UPON2 project has done – develop these indicators and capture the multiple benefits of renovation.
Moreover, the BUILD UPON Framework is a crucial tool to deliver the EU’s Renovation Wave and contribute to its ambitious plan to at least double the renovation rate by 2030, on the local level.
The objectives of the project have been met by building upon and creating synergies with existing public and private sector initiatives such as BUILD UPON, the LTRS monitoring requirements, the follow-up implied in SECAPs and the WorldGBC Advancing Net Zero (ANZ) project.
The overall objective of the project is to build political commitment of cities to establish strategies to decarbonise their building stock, setting the BUILD UPON Framework as a blueprint for implementing EPBD 2018 and connecting CoM cities to a network of high impact initiatives to progress their strategies.
The aim of the Framework is to become a tool for monitoring the impact of building renovation at city level, aligned with national and European targets. The Framework captures not only the usual climate and energy impacts of renovation, but also the wider environmental, economic and social benefits that the improvement of the building stock has a strong nexus with.
The project is led by 8 national Green Building Councils (GBCs) across Europe (see countries in next section) alongside the Building Performance Institute of Europe (BPIE), and the Covenant of Mayors via Climate Alliance (CA).
Further, each GBC in each country is working closely with a Pilot City who has tested the Framework from July 2020. Finally, three follower cities per country have been provided with training materials to enable them to roll out the Framework.
1. UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
The first part of the project focused on the assessment of the new legal framework for building renovations introduced in the EU by the Clean Energy Package on local, national and European renovation policy.
The consortium also analysed the SECAPs and how they can be aligned with the new landscape for European renovation policy, especially with the LTRS.
Additionally, in order to improve multi-level governance procedures, the consortium mapped the national multi governance procedures in each country.
2. BUILD UPON FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT
The first step of the development of the BUILD UPON Framework was to set up National Steering Groups in each of the 8 project countries to agree the scope of the Framework and provide feedback to its different versions. Their members have expertise and insight on key initiatives aimed at tackling barriers to renovation at both the local and national level.
The results from the testing phase with the pilot and follower cities, described below, have shaped the final version of the Framework published in September 2021.
The Framework has been designed to enhance cross-departmental and cross-administrative levels cooperation and avoid a piece-meal approach to renovation. It integrates indicators for environmental impacts improvement but also to monitor co-benefits related to social and economic aspects.
3. MONITORING METHODOLOGY
In parallel with the development of the Framework, the project consortium worked on understanding what data and measures are needed to support its implementation. Building on this task and based on the experience with the cities, the consortium defined a Methodology that serves as general guidance to support local authorities on the application of the Framework.
4. WORK WITH THE CITIES
GBCs with the support of Climate Alliance have worked with cities involved in the project to test the proposed indicators and check their needs for a successful implementation of the Framework. The interaction with the cities also allowed to generate a guidelines document for the cities to the integrate the Framework in the SECAPS of Covenant of Mayors.
5. NEXT STEPS AND EXPLOITATION
GBCs continue to engage and support the pilot and follower cities to build on the success of the pilot phase of the project. The ERN and the GBCs developed a set of plans for how the project could be taken forward beyond its official conclusion in November 2021. These addressed:
1. Plans for further development of the BUILD UPON Framework.
2. Training needs for cities and other users of the BUILD UPON Framework.
3. Links to existing national and city policy measures and finance/funding that would incentivize use of the BUILD UPON Framework.
The first part of the project focused on the assessment of the new legal framework for building renovations introduced in the EU by the Clean Energy Package on local, national and European renovation policy.
The consortium also analysed the SECAPs and how they can be aligned with the new landscape for European renovation policy, especially with the LTRS.
Additionally, in order to improve multi-level governance procedures, the consortium mapped the national multi governance procedures in each country.
2. BUILD UPON FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT
The first step of the development of the BUILD UPON Framework was to set up National Steering Groups in each of the 8 project countries to agree the scope of the Framework and provide feedback to its different versions. Their members have expertise and insight on key initiatives aimed at tackling barriers to renovation at both the local and national level.
The results from the testing phase with the pilot and follower cities, described below, have shaped the final version of the Framework published in September 2021.
The Framework has been designed to enhance cross-departmental and cross-administrative levels cooperation and avoid a piece-meal approach to renovation. It integrates indicators for environmental impacts improvement but also to monitor co-benefits related to social and economic aspects.
3. MONITORING METHODOLOGY
In parallel with the development of the Framework, the project consortium worked on understanding what data and measures are needed to support its implementation. Building on this task and based on the experience with the cities, the consortium defined a Methodology that serves as general guidance to support local authorities on the application of the Framework.
4. WORK WITH THE CITIES
GBCs with the support of Climate Alliance have worked with cities involved in the project to test the proposed indicators and check their needs for a successful implementation of the Framework. The interaction with the cities also allowed to generate a guidelines document for the cities to the integrate the Framework in the SECAPS of Covenant of Mayors.
5. NEXT STEPS AND EXPLOITATION
GBCs continue to engage and support the pilot and follower cities to build on the success of the pilot phase of the project. The ERN and the GBCs developed a set of plans for how the project could be taken forward beyond its official conclusion in November 2021. These addressed:
1. Plans for further development of the BUILD UPON Framework.
2. Training needs for cities and other users of the BUILD UPON Framework.
3. Links to existing national and city policy measures and finance/funding that would incentivize use of the BUILD UPON Framework.
The project represents a first highly coordinated attempt within the field of monitoring through indicators to create and implement an agreed Framework with the ambition of being potentially replicated in any city.
To encourage wider uptake of the Framework, the Project builds political commitment to implement strong building renovation strategies with CoM and through the WorldGBC’s existing city commitment programme (ANZ). At administrative level, the Project provides guidance and capacity building on the use of the Framework as a progress monitoring tool and offers local authorities a broad range of resources to support its implementation.
The results and impacts until the end of the project are:
● Real political commitment from city leaders
● Real emissions savings and a decarbonised stock before 2050
● An aligned blueprint for increasing impact in use at city level
● The conditions are in place to scale use of this blueprint, scale political commitments, and scale emissions savings
● Standout initiatives are scaling, supporting increased impact
The project also used key policy developments as an opportunity to highlight the importance and relevance of the BUILD UPON Framework. Project partners have been in discussions with high-level European officials and Members of European Parliament highlighting how learning from the project can be leveraged to trigger the Renovation Wave. This could particularly relate to the role and potential of the stakeholder renovation platforms, already being used by this Project, and impact data to identify initiatives that can be scaled, which is a clear objective of the comprehensive renovation Framework that the project has designed.
To encourage wider uptake of the Framework, the Project builds political commitment to implement strong building renovation strategies with CoM and through the WorldGBC’s existing city commitment programme (ANZ). At administrative level, the Project provides guidance and capacity building on the use of the Framework as a progress monitoring tool and offers local authorities a broad range of resources to support its implementation.
The results and impacts until the end of the project are:
● Real political commitment from city leaders
● Real emissions savings and a decarbonised stock before 2050
● An aligned blueprint for increasing impact in use at city level
● The conditions are in place to scale use of this blueprint, scale political commitments, and scale emissions savings
● Standout initiatives are scaling, supporting increased impact
The project also used key policy developments as an opportunity to highlight the importance and relevance of the BUILD UPON Framework. Project partners have been in discussions with high-level European officials and Members of European Parliament highlighting how learning from the project can be leveraged to trigger the Renovation Wave. This could particularly relate to the role and potential of the stakeholder renovation platforms, already being used by this Project, and impact data to identify initiatives that can be scaled, which is a clear objective of the comprehensive renovation Framework that the project has designed.