Sufficiency in the decarbonization of the built environment: launch of an international working group

Sufficiency in the decarbonization of the built environment: A4MT and IFPEB collaborate to launch an International Working Group within the Global ABC in partnership with ADEME

As the building sector moves away from its Paris Agreement greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets, the integration of sufficiency measures – now at the heart of all major transition scenarios – appear more and more necessary. At IFPEB, we have made sufficiency a key pilar of decarbonization along with better management, efficiency and better consumption.

But the lack of a common understanding of what « sufficiency » means for the building sector and of the roles each value chain actor should play in deploying it, makes its implementation illusory.

Yet, at all stages of the building value chain – from the decision to build (or not), to the choice of the plot of land (real estate sufficiency), to the design, the choice of materials and construction techniques (building sufficiency), the choice of equipment, the management and use in operation (consume less and better), through the treatment of deconstruction waste … – each path leading to sufficiency requires a change of perspective, deeply rooted in local practices.

Moreover, the interactions between actors, lifestyles, practices and representations around sufficiency are determined by symbolic issues that are difficult to grasp. Thus, behaviors are not necessarily perceived as problematic by the individuals who produce them but respond to various objectives (needs, wishes, social distinction, cultural reproduction, hedonism). Policies and projects focused on sufficiency must therefore be based on a thorough understanding of the psychological and sociological barriers and levers at play. Sharing best practices on this knowledge could also contribute to the success of sufficiency measures. In France, we have a fairly complete conceptual base, from the Négawatt scheme to the work of Albane Gaspard and Jean-Christophe Visier (ADEME), the IFPEB (French Institute for Buildings Performance) and A4MT (PLUS Project).

This is why over the next year, IFPEB and A4MT will collaborate in leading an international working  group in partnership with the European and International ADEME Directorate, within the Global ABC, to build a common and global real estate industry agenda around sufficiency and its role in the decarbonization of the sector.

This collaboration aims to build a common base for a buildings’ sector decarbonization integrating a « pragmatic » sufficiency, i.e. taking into account the obstacles and success factors specific to each country/territory (consume less, consume better, etc.) and to explore the roles of each value chain actor in its implementation. It will lead to the publication of a position paper in April 2024.