Laois, Cork and Kilkenny joined a network of 32 European local authorities testing out how measuring the holistic benefits of energy renovation can help in addressing climate change.
The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) announced that the three Councils are now part of the European Union funded BUILD UPON2 project.
The objective of Build Upon2 is to develop and implement a framework that allows local authorities to track and measure a wide range of benefits of building renovation, from energy efficiency to tackling energy poverty and creating jobs.
By tracking the diverse environmental, social and economic benefits of renovation, Laois, Cork and Kilkenny can better identify and share retrofit best-practice and feed into Ireland’s national Long Term Energy Renovation Strategy.
A total of 32 European local authorities, including the capital cities Dublin, Madrid and Rome, are now using the Build Upon2 Framework, which is a crucial tool to deliver climate and energy renovation targets.
The EU’s Renovation Wave plan set an ambitious target to at least double the bloc’s renovation rate by 2030.
The organisations involved in Build Upon2 are the latest in a growing trend that sees local authorities taking a leadership role on climate action.
In the runup to the COP26 UN Climate Change Summit in November 2021, where BUILD UPON2 will be showcased as part of the Cities and Built Environment Day co-convened by the World Green Building Council, this bold statement of intent from European local governments will help increase the pressure on world leaders to take decisive action.
Joe Delaney, Director of Services, Laois County Council said:
“We are determined to lead by example in tackling climate change. Laois County Council is working to make Portlaoise Ireland’s first ‘low carbon town’.
“We also have an ambitious retrofit programme. Joining the Build Upon network will allow us to better track the impact of our energy renovation programme and to learn from other local authorities in Europe.”
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