A report on global warming points to the need to renovate and adapt buildings

In terms of cities and infrastructure, the report paints an alarming picture of the intensification of droughts and heat waves and the impact on the population and thermal comfort, if buildings are not renovated.

Heat waves will become a major threat in France, with recurrent drought waves on the Mediterranean coast. According to the report: "if the level of global warming is 2°C and the common socio-economic trajectory no. 3 (SSP3) is respected, half of the European population will be exposed to a very high risk of heat stress in summer. »

“Highly insulated buildings that meet current building standards will be vulnerable to overheating, especially under high global warming, unless adequate adaptation measures are applied. ". Indeed, the report continues that Western European countries are all the more vulnerable because solar protection installations are still limited.

An observation shared by Groupement Actibaie, a union affiliated to the FFB, particularly in the sun protection professions. "Blinds and shutters are not valued in renovation aid schemes even though they can reduce the interior temperature of a building by 3 to 5°C, or even more if the system is automated", specifies Hervé Lamy General Delegate of the Actibaie Group. Indeed, in the face of heat waves, the report warns of the increase in cooling energy consumption in buildings, estimated for buildings in northern Europe from 31 to 73% by 2050 and from 165 to 323% by 2100 compared to 1996-2005.

For Hervé Lamy, General Delegate of Groupement Actibaie: “In France, the use of air conditioning in homes has increased from 14% in 2016 to 25% in 2020 according to ADEME. Air conditioning is now responsible for nearly 5% of CO2 equivalent emissions in the building sector. The IPCC report only confirms that this trend will increase if we do not adapt the architecture of our buildings. It is urgent to systematically integrate these virtuous solutions into the renovation of buildings as they already are in new buildings”