Building sufficiency – five measures for an unerring and just transition of the building sector

First published in: eceee 2024 Summer Study on energy efficiency: sustainable, safe & secure through demand reduction, Stockholm 2024, pp. 585 - 593. ISSN: 2001-7960 (online)/1653-7025 (print) ISBN: 978-91-988270-3-3 (online)/978-91-988270-2-6 (print)

Autor*innen: Patrick Zimmermann, Firdes Firat

The building sector phases transformational challenges not only due to its huge negative environmental impacts but also because of injustices and difficulties to provide affordable and liveable housing for the majority. Until now, the focus in planning processes and political discussions to overcome these challenges has clearly been on technical measures like efficiency (thermal insulation) and consistency (renewable energies and materials) as well as classic real estate and housing policy approaches (focus on new construction and social housing subsidies). In contrast, the sufficiency strategy has only played a minor role. This article aims to define the sufficiency strategy more specifically for the building sector by suggesting five specific building sufficiency measures. First, the prioritization of the use of existing buildings over new construction will be described from an ecological and an economical point of view, with an analysis of the housing potential in existing buildings in Germany. Second, the paper elaborates why per capita living space is a relevant parameter in this context, which should be given more attention in policy instruments as well as urban and building planning. Using Germany as an example, its social and regional distribution is explained. Based on the considerations of the donut economy, a socio-ecological target corridor for the living space per capita in Germany is derived by literature research and statistical or data evaluation. The three other sufficiency measures – mindful user energy behaviour, low tech or robust buildings strategies and adaptability – are briefly explained at the end. Finally, the article lists possible policy interventions to leverage the potential of sufficiency for a climate-neutral and affordable building stock.