SUFFICIENCY and CIRCULARITY. The two overlooked decarbonisation strategies in the ‘Fit For 55’ Package

The European Union’s “Fit for 55” initiative targets a significant reduction in carbon emissions, but it overlooks two critical strategies: sufficiency and circularity. This document advocates for integrating these approaches, arguing that efficiency alone cannot achieve the ambitious decarbonisation goals for the EU building sector. Sufficiency, through measures such as reduced floor area per capita and resource-conscious design, addresses the demand side of emissions by minimising the need for energy and materials.

Circularity extends the life of building materials and products, cutting down waste and embodied emissions. Incorporating these principles could help the EU achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The paper examines sufficiency and circularity’s role within the SER (Sufficiency, Efficiency, Renewable) framework, which could enhance EU policy effectiveness in the environmental sector. Detailed policy recommendations underscore the need for a holistic decarbonisation strategy, urging the EU to expand beyond traditional efficiency measures for a sustainable built environment.