Efficient buildings for sustainable cities

Buildings in Spanish cities are the white elephant in the room when it comes to CO₂ emissions. They often go unnoticed, but their contribution to the carbon footprint is undeniable. From ancient structures to modern skyscrapers, each emits greenhouse gases due to the energy consumed to operate, heat and cool them. Real estate, for example, is responsible for 20.1% of final energy consumption in the country and 17% of polluting gases. Reducing its impact is not easy, but it is increasingly urgent in the face of climate change that does not let up. This has been one of the great conclusions reached by a series of experts convened by EL PAÍS and Acciona, last Wednesday in Madrid.

During the event,

New real estate solutions to promote urban regeneration

, David Lucas, Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Agenda, highlighted the actions that the current Government has undertaken to face, from different angles, the challenge of housing and sustainability. Lucas highlighted three main projects that are being carried out: the State Housing Plan 2022-2025, the Housing Plan for Affordable Rentals and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. These address various areas, from the regulatory field, with the approval of laws such as the right to housing, measures to promote residential rehabilitation and the architecture quality law. In addition, modifications have been made to the land law to guarantee legal certainty in urban plans.

Every time there has been a crisis, from the financial crisis of 2008 or the one caused by the pandemic, to the one derived from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, different problems related to housing emerge, Lucas said. “Evictions are increasing, there are speculative movements in rental prices. Ultimately, access to decent housing has not been guaranteed,” he said. And that is the objective of all this battery of plans, stressed the Government representative. To address all these challenges, it adheres to the rehabilitation of existing works and the development of policies so that new constructions have the sustainability parameters required to meet the decarbonization goals towards 2030.

The residential park in Spain has energy efficiency problems and they surfaced with the pandemic. “It is not the same to confine yourself to a 40 square meter space, lacking energy efficiency, as it is to do so in larger, more modern homes. That is why it is imperative that administrations take measures to improve the residential park, thus guaranteeing the right to decent and adequate housing,” he said during his speech at the meeting. “The problem is a very complex problem, with extreme difficulties that has not only been affecting the most vulnerable families, but now also large sections of the population, mainly the middle classes,” he indicated.

Sector challenges

For Borja Carabante, delegate of the Government Area of ​​Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility of the Madrid City Council, there are three important challenges to face in the real estate issue in cities. The first of them is access to housing, the second is urban transformation and regeneration, and the third is sustainability. “We want Madrid to be a better city to live, to work, to invest,” he added. And to achieve this, we must support the development of programs that allow for a greater real estate offer, a new public space, with areas that are not only transitory, but are functional for citizens, and with green growth that has an impact on the reduction of polluting emissions. “In Madrid, we have shown it: green development does not have to show red numbers and precisely that speaks of economic and financial sustainability,” he added.

“The challenge of decarbonization is very demanding and with a clear horizon towards 2030 and 2050. It is really very difficult, especially in the existing park,” explained Alejandro Miguel, Manager of Sustainability and Innovation at Acciona Real Estate. But achieving the goals will not be impossible. The key, commented the expert, is in the construction of new construction, which will give a boost to the reduction of emissions. “We must take into account that there is a lack of supply, which is why new developments must be balanced with the rehabilitation and regeneration of existing buildings,” he highlighted. Miguel also delved into the importance of taking a comprehensive approach when building sustainable properties. Beyond environmental and energy considerations, the health and well-being of occupants are increasingly relevant aspects that influence the choice of non-polluting materials and indoor air quality.

In this same sense, Eugenia del Río Villar, treasurer of the Official College of Architects of Madrid (COAM), said that there is a paradigm shift in the demand of clients, who now value the efficiency and quality of materials above aesthetics and surface, although sometimes they have to pay a little more. “The perception we have of citizens is that they are not worried about this specific expense. “I think people value that the building has mixed uses: with areas to work and play sports, and that it does not involve traveling around the city,” she mentioned. “A few years ago, almost 80% of clients would be willing to pay more for sustainable housing,” added Miguel, from Acciona.

Felipe Iglesias, urban planning consultant at Uría y Menéndez and professor of Administrative Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid, highlighted, for his part, the crucial role of the energy efficiency certificate as a tool to make the environmental performance of buildings visible. “This certificate, along with other regulations, has marked a before and after in raising awareness about energy efficiency in the real estate sector,” he said. “Every time you transfer, sell or buy a home, even if you rent it, you have to request or attach that certificate so that you can see the level of efficiency and some measures can improve it,” he added.

Maki Kawaguchi, senior Director Place Strategy and Leader of the CBRE + Streetsense alliance in Spain, said that although there are properties that, due to their age or historical value, are difficult to improve their energy efficiency, what can be done is optimize the urban area it already exists. “By regenerating squares, public transport, mobility, nature, you are already improving sustainability.” With all this you can access the city in 15 minutes. “Many European cities are 15-minute cities, this model already exists, it is not a new concept,” she said. But these are still in the hearts of the big cities. The ideal would be to expand the model to the expansions, to the peripheries. “To do so requires a mix of uses [different types of land use], transportation accessibility and micromobility, and that streets prioritize pedestrians and not cars, and above all, that there be much more collaboration between public and private.” ”, he concluded.