PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that the last few years were the warmest on record in Europe. Under such circumstances, the consequences of climate change are more visible and tangible for citizens through forest fires, extreme climate phenomena (heat waves, storms, surges, floods and droughts), and also because of their consequences on people's health.
The EU has responded to these challenges with far-reaching and ambitious political endeavours such as the European Green Deal, which is driving the quest for renewal and innovation. The EC has set the objective of cutting net greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
One of the main pillars to achieve these targets is the “A Renovation Wave for Europe – Greening our buildings, creating jobs, improving lives” Strategy. The key actions established to implement this strategy include “placing an integrated participatory and neighbourhood-based approach at the heart of renovation” and points to the European Bauhaus platform to combine sustainability with art and design.
The New European Bauhaus initiative (NEB) has three inseparable core values: sustainability (climate goals, circularity, zero pollution and biodiversity), aesthetics (style beyond functionality), and inclusion (diversity, equality accessibility and affordability). The NEB initiative aims to bring the European Green Deal into citizens’ lives and the spaces they live in. While sustainability puts the ecological transition at the centre of the debate, aesthetics makes it more appealing to citizens, and inclusion promotes the European Green Deal idea of ‘no one left behind’.
The NEB provides a crucial link between the European Green Deal and European citizens, by underlining that the ecological transition will only become a reality when citizens are aware of the challenge and need to achieve neutrality targets.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the LIFEBauhausingEurope project is to boost the ecological transition of European communities by applying the NEB approach to the renovation of public buildings and spaces. It is focused on a neighbourhood level to successfully appeal to citizens as the most effective way to address climate change, the energy crisis and the lack of resources.
In order to achieve this general goal, the project’s specific objectives are to:
Validate a standardised methodology for including sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics (NEB values) in the renovation of public buildings through an ideas contest. The methodology will be demonstrated in five different municipalities to test its suitability.
Renovate five public buildings (4,067 m2 in total) following the NEB approach in Cartagena, Blanca, Adazi, Varazdin and Erzsebetvaros.
Achieve an effective involvement of the partners for a high-quality implementation of the project, with proper management and continuous monitoring and reporting.
Assess the application of the NEB approach and project impacts.
Raise awareness and promote the NEB approach at technical and non-technical levels.
RESULTS
The project’s expected results are:
An improvement of at least two letters in every building’s energy performance certificate (example, from C to A).
An energy efficiency improvement of approximately 43% according to the energy certificates. This will mean savings of 0.57 GWh/year according to the current demands of primary non-renewable energy.
The total installation of 61kWp of photovoltaic panels over the buildings´ roofs that will generate 78,543 kWh of green energy/year.
86.828 tonnes CO2/year will be avoided because of the reduction of use of non-renewable energy.
982 m3 a year of rainwater will be collected, stored and reused in gardening.
Five nature-based solutions will implemented in the reimagined buildings, which will express the commitment of the municipalities to the respect for nature and biodiversity, and that will serve as models for citizens.
At least 50% of the volume of materials that are generated in the renovation of the Actions for Circular Transition (ACTs) will be reused in its transformation.
24,510 kg of organic food will be produced a year in urban gardens created by the project in Cartagena and Varazdin, increasing to 29,412 kg after a 3-5 year period.
Two circular chains for recovering biowaste as compost for urban gardens will be established in Cartagena and Varazdin, producing 12 tonnes of compost.
804 m2 of new tree canopy will be planted.
Three public incentive schemes will be implemented to boost public engagement and to benefit 300 citizens.
