8th Leuphana Energy Forum: Climate Protection in the Real Estate Industry

This year's event focused on climate protection in the real estate industry and began with clear demands and announcements by Environment Minister Olaf Lies. For example, that the upcoming climate protection law of Lower Saxony provides for a solar obligation in the building regulations. After an impulse from Dr. Schmitt of the vdw, architect Dr. Schulze Darup from Berlin gave an inspiring keynote speech on the implementation and feasibility of energy-efficient and climate-friendly construction. Afterwards, both before noon and afterwards, the participants divided into three groups each to be presented and discussed in these inputs on various topics ranging from the economic efficiency of measures and legal issues to solar initiatives with citizen participation.

The event has shown that ambitious climate targets for the building sector can be achieved if all actors pull together and innovative technical, economic and legal ideas are implemented. In particular, the economic viability of climate protection in the housing industry was often at the center of the discussion. Mr. Nolte from KEAN said: "For me it was very impressive to hear that climate protection for the housing industry is already of high economic relevance. The contributions of the many competent speakers had provided a lot of valuable suggestions, both for politicians and for companies". "Nevertheless, the speakers from the housing industry in panel 1.1 saw the limits of economic efficiency in spite of a positive basic attitude in the implementation of energy efficiency in existing housing stock. The national promotion is often not sufficient, in order to turn renovation-conditioned rent increases away. The then if necessary necessary rent increases are acceptable neither from view of the often non-profit or cooperative housing industry nor from view of the tenants , summarized Professor Dr. Degenhart of the Leuphana.

Apart from economic efficiency, however, social concerns should not be allowed to fall by the wayside. "In this context it was also emphasized that it is necessary to listen more to what the users and owners want," added Dr. Lars Holstenkamp of the ECOLOG Institute. During planning, for example, more use should be made of the existing knowledge of janitors.

Another finding of the Energy Forum 2020 is that good information and discussion is also possible in an online format. Prof. Dr. Thomas Schomerus from Leuphana noted that "the focus was more on content than on face-to-face events". The disadvantage, however, was that "there were no informal discussions over coffee on the side".

In order to spread the exciting contents of the Energy Forum, you will soon be able to find some of the lectures held on Wednesday on the website: www.leuphana.de/energieforum