60th year COFHUAT commemoration

Paris, 6 December 2007: 60th year COFHUAT commemoration - Energy efficiency in buildings

This debate was organized to celebrate the 60th birthday of COFHUAT (‘Confédération Française pour L’Habitat, L’Urbanisme, L’Aménagement du Territoire et L’Environnement’).

Divided into 3 parts and with 136 participants at École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées the event created a logical approach to all the sectors at stake:

• public sector (with the environmental French agency –ADEME, the energetic sector – EDF, etc),
• private sector (with several companies that have products to help strengthen the energy efficiency of buildings)
• and the research sector.

Despite the context of profound housing crisis in France created by an unbalanced demand/offer situation, great cities continue to grow although without meeting the needs for housing.

The country of France has a total of 30,2 million houses, where only 63% were built under the “thermic regulation of 1975”. To achieve in 2020 most of the buildings as “positive emission buildings” means that the existent houses must decrease energy consumptio by 40%. According to ADEME in the long run is the same of saying that the investment must duplicate or triplicate reaching from 200 to 400 million euro/m2. That will require a mobilization of all the stakeholders involved in this business, the support of the public government, information, research and financial incitation.

It was also stressed that the pursue of energy efficient buildings must be related with the a more sustainable urban planning practise.

More information is available at the COFHUAT-site.

Last Updated @ Thursday, 06 March 2008