The UK is not the only country seeking to improve its existing building stock. The German government is set to make a "quantum leap in energy efficiency", improving it by 3 per cent a year - rather than the 1 per cent required under European law. According to economic minister Michael Glos, this will make Germany "one of the most energy efficient regions (sic) in the world.".

His colleague environment minister Sigmar Gabriel emphasises that cutting out waste is far more cost-efficient than building new power stations, whether coal-fired or nuclear. No new nuclear plants have been built in Germany for 25 years. Nobody plans to build any. Instead the government has introduced a "carbon dioxide refurbishment programme", as an integral part of Germany's climate change programme and growth and employment programme.

The programme is designed systematically to upgrade the entire building stock to "contemporary standards" across a 20 year period. It is very instructive to observe how this is happening. And the detailed involvement of the German government throughout.


Resource:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/3326680/Follow-Germanys-lead-invest-to-save-energy.html

16th paper on 5th month:  Germany's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by anticipating a new regulatory framework and its significance for environmental policy.