2.4. International Experience: Energy Efficiency in Buildings in France Mr. Michel Hamelin, Deputy Director, International Affairs Division, ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency)
2.4.1. A Rapidly Evolving Situation Environmental Constraints The most recent report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed that the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere would rise by 1.5 to 6oC by the end of the century. The actual extent of the rise will primarily depend on the scope of public policies implemented by the countries that consume the greatest amounts of energy and the dates upon which those policies are introduced. Global warming has already caused disturbances to our climate, with extremely serious repercussions for humankind, and the future looks even bleaker. To limit these repercussions and guarantee the sustainable development of our societies, it is now generally agreed that world greenhouse gas emissions must be halved by 2050, with reference to the 1990 level. A Firm Political Objective “By virtue of the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility”, industrialized nations need to reduce their emissions by a factor of four or five within the next fifty years. France has already adopted this objective as part of its National Strategy
[ 66 ]
for Sustainable Development introduced in June 2003 and its Climate Plan introduced in July 2004, and incorporated in the Energy Policy Act in July 2005. Meeting this objective will enable us to maintain tolerable concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, calculated at 450 parts per million (ppm), compared to today’s 380 ppm and some 280 ppm during the pre-industrial era. Consequences for the Building Sector In the building sector, average annual energy consumption is currently close to 400 kWh of primary energy per heated m 2. With the urgent call to reduce CO2 emissions, combined with the inevitable energy cost increases caused by the gradual depletion of resources, the average primary energy con-sumption of operational buildings needs to be reduced to approximately 100 kWh per m 2 by 2050, including some 50 kWh per m2 of primary energy for heating the premises and providing hot water. The Building Sector: Pulling its Weight
The Biggest Energy Consumer In France, the building sector is the biggest energy consumer across all economic sectors, consuming some 70 million tons of oil equiva-
© AFD / Implementing Large-Scale Energy Efficiency Programs in Existing Buildings in China / October 2010