Roadmap to a
Resource Efficient Europe
-and what about buildings?
Josefina Lindblom
European Commission – DG environment
Scheme of my presentation
1. A resource constraint world
2. What is Resource Efficiency?
3. European policy context
4. The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe
5. What about buildings?
A resource constraint world
ONLY ONE EARTH
World Footprint = 1.3 earths
Growth of the World Economy
2050
1950
2010
Increased globalization
Source: Eurostat Comext Statistics, EEA 2010, The European Environment, State and Outlook
2010 : Thematic Assessment – Material Resources and Waste
Growing Resource Use
Source: EEA 2010 derived from SERI GLOBAL 2000, Friends of the Earth Europe (2009)
What is Resource Efficiency?
Resource Efficiency:
Doing more with less
 Sustainable management and use of
raw materials:
minerals-fuels-biomass
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
What can resource efficiency bring to
the economy and society?
 New business opportunities (innovation, ecoindustries), new skilled jobs
 Competitiveness and cost savings for European
businesses
 Better food/water/energy security
 Reducing environmental impacts and
avoiding depletion of natural resources
(Source: Wuppertal Institute)
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
European policy context
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
7 Flagship initiatives, incl.
“Resource Efficient Europe”
Communication January 2011
Roadmap September 2011
The Roadmap to a
Resource Efficient Europe
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
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
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
Policies across the Life-Cycle of Products
Natural
Resources
Disposal
Natural
Resources
Reuse,
Recycling,
Recovery
Design
Better
Products
Manufacturing
Leaner
Production
Waste &
Recycling
Collection
Distribution
Use
Smarter
Consumption
Eco-innovation
Sustainable consumption and production
Reduce resource use and limit environmental
impact of production and consumption
1. Companies &
production
2. Products
3. Demand &
consumption
4. End of life
Poor
performance
Good
performance
Tackling key resources
 Ecosystem services
 Biodiversity
 Minerals and metals
 Water
 Air
 Land and soils
 Marine resources
Interactions
Turning waste into a resource
Prevention
Re-use
Recycling
Recovery
Disposal
Turning waste into a resource
PREVENTION
REUSE
RECYCLING
RECOVERY
DISPOSAL
Tackling key sectors
 Food

Reducing food waste and tackling animal proteins

Addressing phosphorus
 Mobility

Resource efficiency objectives in transport
 Housing / buildings
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.
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
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
What about buildings?
Tackling key sectors: buildings
 Fact

Construction and buildings impact our environment
 Some initial thoughts
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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?
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/
Josefina.Lindblom@ec.europa.eu