Prioritising existing buildings for people and climate

Lisa Graaf, Emily Bankert, Zsolt Toth

This document, authored by Lisa Graaf, Emily Bankert, and Zsolt Toth, and reviewed by the BPIE team, explores the concept of “sufficiency” in the building sector as a strategy to address the housing crisis, achieve climate and resource targets, and revitalize communities. It argues that existing building policies have failed to alleviate environmental pressures, inequality, and housing shortages due to their narrow focus on carbon and energy metrics.

The document advocates for prioritising the use of existing buildings to provide quality housing, thereby reducing both embodied and operational carbon emissions. ​It highlights the potential of sufficiency to address multiple crises in the EU, including housing shortages, resource overconsumption, and high infrastructure costs.

​The paper calls for mainstreaming sufficiency into policy frameworks, removing implementation barriers, and supporting research and data collection. ​It also emphasises the social acceptance of sufficiency measures and their potential to enhance well-being and combat loneliness.

​The document provides policy recommendations and examples of successful sufficiency initiatives, urging decision-makers to integrate sufficiency principles into existing policies to maximise impact.

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