The need to decarbonise buildings: Reasons, challenges and objectives

Abstract

The article addresses the relevance of the real estate sector in climate change control through the decarbonisation of buildings. It presents a case study of an investment portfolio artificially constructed from randomly selected buildings in different Spanish cities and with different uses, evaluated in terms of their structural and energy characteristics. The CRREM tool is used to evaluate the decarbonisation horizon of the buildings between 2018 and 2050, their total emissions and their cost, in relation to the maximum allowed in the agreements signed by the EU in Paris (COP21). From this calculation, an assessment is provided of when buildings will become energetically stranded (energy obsolete) assets and the cost of carbon emitted above permitted levels. These calculations lend transparency to the investment decision-making process facing building owners in the EU over the next 30 years. Copyright © 2021 by Academic Publishing House Researcher s.r.o.