How can we have energy-efficient buildings? Opportunities and challenges identified at a new roundtable organized by BCR and ECOTECA Association

On June 26th, a new roundtable on the topic of “Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Best Practices and Challenges” took place, organized by BCR and ECOTECA Association, in partnership with EFdeN. The event is part of the “Investing in the Future” series and aimed to explore the general context of construction in Romania, along with examples of sustainable practices in the energy field and solutions for accessing funds by companies.

Energy efficiency in buildings requires concrete and coordinated actions from central authorities, the private sector, and the general public. The participants discussed the strengthening of community education efforts, as citizens still do not fully understand that investments in energy efficiency involve short-term budget consumption, which translates into significantly lower monthly bills in the medium and long term. Another important point is related to increasing the number of specialists in the construction field, a necessary aspect for the development of energy-efficient buildings.

Last, but not least, it is necessary for state authorities to collaborate with the private business sector to propose efficient and easily implementable laws that would benefit end consumers in particular. Public and private financial institutions need to work together to address the issues of funding programs for energy efficiency in buildings, as well as the evaluation of submitted applications.

“The topic of climate change is a priority on the international agenda – we need constant communication about how we can reduce energy consumption or at least how we can use it more efficiently, especially considering that 40% of energy consumption comes from buildings. With this goal in mind, we have implemented several projects and launched a series of green products to reduce the carbon footprint of our activities, along with investments in green energy and green buildings. We know that sustainability is a dynamic concept that is constantly changing, but at BCR, we aim to support as many companies as possible in their green transition and to see as many new energy-efficient constructions as possible,” said Ioana Voinescu, Head of Sustainability Department at BCR.

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Representatives from institutional and business environments, as well as energy specialists, participated in the event held on June 26th at the EFdeN Solar House. Among them were Ioana Voinescu, Head of Sustainability Department at BCR, and Claudiu Butacu, President of EFdeN. During the discussion moderated by Raul Pop, Program Director of ECOTECA Association, experts analyzed the real estate context from an energy efficiency perspective, identified challenges, notable practices, and concrete ways to access funds for green constructions.

All of this takes place in a context where, in Romania, energy consumption in the residential and tertiary sectors (offices, commercial spaces, and other non-residential buildings) together represent 45% of the total energy consumption. At the national level, the built-up area is 493,000,000 m2, of which 86% is represented by residential buildings. Our country has a significant heritage of buildings mainly constructed between 1960 and 1990, with a low level of thermal insulation due to the lack of regulations regarding the thermal protection of buildings and their perimeter elements. However, even after 1990, buildings still maintain the same low energy performance.

ESG reporting is no longer just an essential component but has become increasingly important for companies – a process that can lead to a sustainability revolution. Although Romania has the necessary resources for this revolution, it requires public policies, education, and the establishment of clear standards to support and accelerate this transformation. Only in this way will we be able to benefit from the opportunities that ESG brings to the economic prosperity of the country.

The roundtable discussion on “Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Best Practices and Challenges” was the fourth meeting in the “Investing in the Future” event series, which aims to debate the topic of sustainability as a responsibility of businesses, public institutions, and society.

The “BCR Investing in the Future” event series aims to shape directions for new diverse activities, business practices, and legislative initiatives in order to bring about real changes in society. The role of these events is to rethink how society conducts its activities, always keeping in mind the need to ensure a better future for future generations. The program builds upon sustainable initiatives through which BCR integrates ESG principles into its business strategy and portfolio of products for individuals, institutions, or companies, such as the Casa mea NaturA program for green home mortgage loans, green bond issuances, the Electric Up program for SMEs, or the Energy Efficiency Credit for companies and public institutions.