Real Estate Sustainability: The Key to Decarbonizing the Economy

Sustainability is an opportunity for the development of the real estate sector, both for new construction and the rehabilitation of existing buildings.

To meet the new challenges set by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential to commit to responsible construction and choose sustainable supply chain management to fulfill Sustainable Development Goal 11: "Sustainable Cities and Communities."

Although the incorporation of concepts such as sustainability and energy savings into real estate strategies is relatively new, the sector is moving towards a responsible and balanced development of sustainability.

What is a Sustainable Real Estate Sector?

According to the European directive, as of 2019, new public buildings must be nearly zero-energy buildings, which marks the beginning of the sustainable housing concept.

Investing in the construction of efficient and sustainable buildings and infrastructures can reduce their current environmental impact, including emissions, energy consumption, water use, and noise pollution, while also improving indoor and outdoor air quality. Promoting sustainable and efficient infrastructure also requires a change in consumer behavior, necessitating the promotion, awareness, and education of citizens about more responsible and sustainable lifestyles and consumption habits.

A sustainable real estate sector takes into account the following factors:

Circular Economy

Reducing construction waste and using reusable materials is key. The concept of "building to reuse" is being implemented, considering buildings as banks of reusable materials. Embracing the circular economy in construction is fundamental for mitigating environmental impact and promoting low-carbon construction.

In addition to energy consumption, more and more buildings are equipped with rainwater collection systems, which offer a double advantage: allowing for the reuse of collected water and mitigating the risk of flooding.

Another crucial step is the reuse and recycling of concrete, as well as the development of more innovative materials with a smaller carbon footprint, such as mixed cements or photovoltaic cements that reduce air pollution.

Certifications for Sustainable Construction

Over 20 years ago, the "passivhaus" or passive house concept emerged in Germany with the premise of addressing the energy consumption of homes and aiming to reduce energy needs by up to 90%. This construction and housing concept seeks to reduce the environmental impact of housing and emphasizes thermal quality, reduced energy losses, the use of sustainable and efficient materials, and renewable energy supply.

Currently, the Passivhaus Institute coordinates the certification of passive house homes. Additionally, at the national level, we can highlight the VERDE certification from the Green Building Council Spain and CO2Nulo, developed by Ecómetro. These certifications promote sustainable construction, energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy for supply, the minimization of environmental impact in construction, and the mitigation of health impacts on people.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Decarbonization

Energy transformation is crucial for the construction field. Focusing on renewable energy at three levels:

• Using it in the production of materials and construction processes.
• Prioritizing renewable energy supply by contracting clean energy.
• Installing solutions to promote self-sufficiency and self-consumption of renewable energy.

The private sector is committed to innovation and offering solutions and products that improve energy efficiency. There is a clear commitment to implement improvements in both old and new buildings to reduce energy losses and consumption.

Measures being adopted include thermal insulation, building orientation, and taking advantage of environmental conditions. To decarbonize buildings, renewable thermal technologies, such as geothermal systems or electrification, are being favored.

More Sustainable Infrastructure

Green infrastructure and the use of vegetation in buildings enhance sustainability and the quality of life in the surroundings. From vertical gardens and green roofs to urban gardens, sustainable infrastructure offers various benefits, such as:

• Reducing water consumption.
• Improving air quality.
• Reducing energy consumption.
• Mitigating urban heat.
• Increasing the efficiency of climate control systems.
• Capturing carbon dioxide and other gases.
• Enhancing urban biodiversity.

Innovation and Technology as Opportunities for Sustainability

The use of technology and innovation makes buildings increasingly efficient in terms of consumption and impact. Technologies such as motion detectors or energy management systems allow the measurement of building demand and adjustment of consumption based on needs.

A new approach in the sector is industrialized construction, which aims to promote innovation, improve productivity, and reduce impacts generated in construction processes. The concept of off-site construction is gaining strength, referring to the planning, design, assembly, and construction of parts and elements in factories before transportation to the final destination.

The Sustainable Transformation of the Real Estate Sector

In Spain, more than 50% of the housing stock was built before 1980 without any existing regulations on thermal conditions, making the building sector one of the most polluting, responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the European Union, according to the European Commission.

For this reason, there is a significant increase in the use of new materials and the digitization of products and processes to reduce the carbon footprint, promoting the creation of sustainable buildings. The use of renewable materials, such as wood, a thermal insulator that reduces the energy used for heating and cooling buildings, as well as the installation of renewable energy sources, are key to decarbonizing construction and reducing CO2 emissions.

Sustainability, well-being, and energy efficiency criteria are increasingly demanded by end users, who seek homes that meet standards ensuring a higher quality of life while reducing their carbon footprint. As the general director of the Green Building Council states, "Sustainability has gone from being a demand of a few to a movement of an entire society."

New Regulation in the Sector: Technical Building Code

To make all this possible, the new Technical Building Code, which came into force last September, mandates that new buildings and the rehabilitation of existing ones must be nearly zero-energy consumption. The new regulation defines the energy efficiency standards that new buildings must meet and promotes sustainable development through the construction sector.

The real estate sector faces a major challenge: to give importance to people's health and well-being while meeting energy efficiency standards.

At LuxHabitat, We Are Part of the Change in the Real Estate Field

At LuxHabitat, we are committed to renewal and are part of the opportunity that the transformation of the real estate sector represents. Our priority is to build homes that provide the greatest well-being for people, society, and the planet by using environmentally friendly materials, implementing the use of efficient and renewable energy, and promoting sustainable architecture.

We believe in a future where innovation serves people and their quality of life, including disruptive common areas, motion detectors that turn lights on and off when people are detected, invisible uniform climate control, double-flow ventilation, geothermal and aerothermal implementation, app-based openings, and virtual tours with sensory experiences.

Come and discover LuxHabitat’s developments, built to enrich and energize society while respecting the planet.