If we look at global energy consumption, we see that almost a third of it is attributable to buildings, and 40% of global CO2 emissions are due to their use. How can we build in such a way that less energy is needed during construction and later during operation? What contribution do material cycles make? And to what extent can technical solutions such as smart features and integrated energy management, in existing buildings as well as in new construction, help to resolutely meet the climate challenges of our time? That’s what we asked the Executive Director of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), Dr. Christine Lemaitre.
I think sensitivity to the issue has increased greatly in recent years – probably not only, but also thanks to Fridays for Future. When we started with the DGNB 15 years ago, sustainability was still rather a niche topic and you had to argue a lot why this aspect is…
