Building strategy for the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction

Background

With the adoption of the Climate Protection Plan in 2016 and the Climate Protection Act (KSG) in 2019, as well as its amendment in 2021, not only an overall target but also sector-specific benchmarks for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) in individual years were established (BMUV, 2016; Federal Climate Protection Act (KSG), 2019). By 2030, GHG emissions in the building sector must decrease to 67 million tons of CO2 equivalent, and by 2045, a nearly climate-neutral building stock is being pursued.
However, the accounting of GHG emissions in the sectors defined in the Climate Protection Act—energy, industry, buildings, transport, and agriculture—has so far been based on the source principle, which states that GHG emissions are accounted for at the place of their origin. Within the system boundaries of the building sector, therefore, only direct GHG emissions, i.e., GHG emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels, are accounted for. Indirect GHG emissions from electricity are assigned to the KSG energy sector, and emissions from the production of building materials, among others, are assigned to the KSG industrial sector. As a result, the scope of the KSG building sector does not fully capture the GHG emissions that occur over the entire life cycle of buildings. The production of building materials, the construction of buildings, their demolition, and the recycling of building materials cause additional environmental and climate impacts that occur in other KSG sectors.
The field of action “buildings” as an extension of the previous KSG building sector, on the other hand, encompasses all activities over the entire life cycle of buildings and thus corresponds to a cross-sectoral approach, in which GHG emissions from buildings are considered according to the polluter-pays principle.

Goals and Results

In addition to existing studies that show the path to a climate-neutral building stock by 2045, this study therefore aims to develop a building strategy for the buildings field of action (SHG). Within the strategy, strategic guidelines and measures are to be presented to ensure the comprehensive climate-friendly development of construction, planning and operation of buildings.

The SHG is intended to address policymakers and stakeholders as well as the construction industry and, in addition to “Climate protection in the building sector”, also includes the key topics of “Cross-sector climate protection”, “Circular construction and conservation of resources”, “Climate impact-adapted construction” and “Social impact of national climate protection policy in the building sector”. Targets for the building sector at both national and EU level will also be taken into account.

Tasks of IREES

  • Project management

  • Development of various target images

  • Merging the individual target images into a building strategy

STAFF

Dr. Jan Steinbach
Dr. Jan Steinbach Geschäftsfeldleiter
Jana Deurer
Jana Deurer

+49 721 91 52 636 27
j.deurer@irees.de

Johannes Haller
Johannes Haller
Vanessa Schindler
Vanessa Schindler
Oliver Lösch
Oliver Lösch