Climate change: Houses and cities ill-prepared

Climate change is in full swing. No one can look past that in the summer of 2022. Heat waves and heavy rain will have a negative impact on people's quality of life and health. Cities and homeowners are called upon to take measures to mitigate the consequences.

What should the city of the future look like? That is the question posed by the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu). How will our cities become livable, CO2-neutral, climate-adapted, energy- and resource-efficient? The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the Future City projects. Science, local politics and administration, as well as civil society and business must work closely together on the ground.

What does the present look like? The building sector causes an average of 60 percent of climate-damaging CO2 emissions in cities around the world. This is the result of a JLL study. Currently, city governments are setting ambitious sustainability goals. One major challenge is the conversion of energy networks, but developers, owners or tenants have no direct influence on this.

In order to achieve the climate targets in the building sector, a massive expansion of district heating based on renewable energies is necessary. The European Union must set targets for the expansion of district heating systems, determine minimum requirements for the inclusion of renewable energies and industrial waste heat. This is what Öko-Institut e. V. demands.

The current issue is the sharp rise in energy costs. Consumers fear high additional payments. According to an online survey by YouGov, there is a great need for action in the case of existing properties. According to the survey, 71 percent of all properties in Germany built after 2010 have positive A+, A and B ratings. However, they account for only seven percent of residential buildings. 67 percent of residential properties built before 1969 have the negative characteristic values F, G or H.

The old stock is the area where something has to change very quickly now. You can find out which measures are currently subsidized by the state at: www.kfw.de.

(Photo: © Gerd Altmann, Pixabay)