Latest Laois News: Laois County Council joins drive to renovate buildings and deliver on climate objectives

Laois County Council joins European Union funded BUILD UPON2 project

Laois, Cork and Kilkenny joined a network of 32 European local authorities testing out how measuring the holistic benefits of energy renovation can help in addressing climate change.

Today, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) announced that Laois County Council, Cork City and Kilkenny County Councils are now part of the European Union funded BUILD UPON² project.

The objective of Build Upon² is to develop and implement a Framework that allows local authorities to track and measure a wide range of benefits of building renovation, from energy efficiency to tackling energy poverty and creating jobs. By tracking the diverse environmental, social and economic benefits of renovation, Laois, Cork and Kilkenny can better identify and share retrofit best-practice and feed into Ireland’s national Long Term Energy Renovation Strategy.

Joseph Delaney, Director of Services, Laois County Council said:

“We are determined to lead by example in tackling climate change. Laois County Council is working to make Portlaoise Ireland’s first ‘low carbon town’. We also have an ambitious retrofit programme. Joining the Build Upon network will allow us to better track the impact of our energy renovation programme and to learn from other local authorities in Europe”.

Pat Barry, CEO of The Irish Green Building Council added:

“The aim of the Framework is to help local authorities to better monitor and quantify the impact of their renovation programmes, hence supporting decision-making. I am delighted that Laois, Kilkenny and Cork City Councils have joined Dublin City Council on this project and look forward to working with them.”

Stephen Richardson, Director of Europe Regional Network, World Green Building Council:

“Getting all our buildings to net zero is crucial for the EU to reach its goal of climate neutrality by 2050. And there are lots of wider benefits to renovation, such as tackling energy poverty, stimulating local economies and creating jobs, which also make it a key part of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Build Upon² project shows that by starting at the local level, cities can be accelerators of the Renovation Wave. It’s very exciting that this month a further 24 cities across Europe are joining the BUILD UPON² movement. Their involvement will contribute to making the Framework an invaluable resource to deliver the Renovation Wave and the EU Green Deal.”

A total of 32 European local authorities, including the capital cities Dublin, Madrid and Rome, are now using the Build Upon² Framework, which is a crucial tool to deliver climate and energy renovation targets. The EU’s Renovation Wave plan set an ambitious target to at least double the bloc’s renovation rate by 2030.

The organisations involved in Build Upon² are the latest in a growing trend that sees local authorities taking a leadership role on climate action. In the runup to the COP26 UN Climate Change Summit in November 2021, where BUILD UPON² will be showcased as part of the Cities and Built Environment Day co-convened by the World Green Building Council, this bold statement of intent from European local governments will help increase the pressure on world leaders to take decisive action.