SoProW

For an appropriate contribution to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Germany will need to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2035, including its building stock. Therefore, Greenpeace commissioned the Wuppertal Institute to develop a six-point immediate action programme for renewable energy-based heating and efficient buildings that will enable achievement of this target. In three central areas, the programme combines legal standards and specific financial support:

• a law on phase-out of fossil fuel heating systems and financial support for electric heat pumps and solar thermal systems
• phased minimum efficiency standards for buildings, along with environmental criteria for insulation material, and corresponding financial support
• development of district heating with renewable energies – legislation with targets and improved framework conditions, and financial support

This combination is expected to enable energy-efficient building renovation rates of three  to four per cent per year, and the conversion of almost two thirds of the heating systems to heat pumps and around one quarter to district heat by 2035, with a third of the buildings using solar thermal energy in addition. This would transform Germany’s building stock to being greenhouse gas neutral. Further results of the study include: Such an accelerated transformation of buildings and heat would be cost-effective for consumers and companies as well as public building owners. They would see net cost savings of 11.5 billion euros in the year 2035. In addition, around 500,000 jobs could be created or secured, some 260,000 of which in the construction sector. The implementation of the programme is estimated to need about 50 billion euros per year of additional investment, and just over 20 billion euros per year of government funds and support.