ROCKWOOL Group and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group have formed a 14-month joint research effort to demonstrate the climate and other benefits that building renovations can generate and to assist cities in making cost-efficient investment decisions.
Buildings today account for about 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and global energy consumption. In C40 cities, buildings account for an even higher percentage of greenhouse gas emissions – up to 60 percent – and thus represent a significant opportunity for cities to reduce their climate impact while improving their citizens’ health, wellbeing, safety and even their productivity.
A key focus of the research collaboration will be to develop an assessment methodology to assist cities in measuring this broader range of benefits that energy and related building renovations can generate.
Mirella Vitale, ROCKWOOL Group Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs comments, “As urban populations continue growing with unprecedented speed, cities find themselves at the confluence of multiple pressures and challenges, particularly on energy consumption and climate impacts. Energy renovation of buildings can dramatically reduce both while positively affecting occupants’ health and wellbeing”.
ROCKWOOL CEO Jens Birgersson adds, “What’s more, there’s a growing recognition that energy, acoustic, water management, and aesthetic renovations can also increase building values and generate additional socio-economic benefits. The collaboration between ROCKWOOL and C40 will help cities better understand these multiple and mutually reinforcing benefits and to make cost-efficient investment decisions to create the greatest positive value for their communities”.
Kevin Austin, C40 Deputy Executive Director, said, "C40’s research has shown precisely what the world’s great cities need to do in the years ahead if there is any hope of delivering on the Paris Agreement and preventing the worst effects of climate change. Cutting the greenhouse gas emissions generated by buildings is absolutely crucial and quantifying the economic, social and health benefits of these efforts will make it easier for C40 mayors to deliver on the bold climate action needed.”
