Zero-Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável defended this Saturday, February 21st, the “reoccupation of vacant or underused buildings, in the conversion of properties into affordable housing”, within the scope of the National Building Renovation Plan (PNRE).
The association considered that “the PNRE should focus more clearly on the reoccupation of vacant or underused buildings, the conversion of properties into affordable housing and integrated neighborhood-wide renovation programs, as well as better coordination between building policies, mobility and urban planning”, according to a statement.
The PNRE arises from the review of the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, adopted in 2024 as part of the European climate legislative package.
For Zero, this is “a strategic opportunity to transform the Portuguese building stock, reduce emissions and improve the thermal comfort of homes”.
But, in the association’s opinion, “the plan runs the risk of not fully meeting its climate and social objectives if more concrete targets, robust social safeguards, greater transparency in financing and a clearer integration of the principle of energy sufficiency are not introduced”.
The Portuguese proposal for the PNRE was under public consultation until last Friday, and for Zero it is “very generic”.
For the environmental association, the Portuguese proposal “lacks annual renewal rates, objectives by type of building and quantified indicators that allow progress to be assessed until 2030, 2040 and 2050”.
Zero said that it considers “an explicit articulation with national instruments such as the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC) 2030, the National Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty, the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality 2050 and the Social Plan for Climate to be equally essential, highlighting that without this alignment it will be difficult to guarantee coherence between climate, energy and social policies”.
He warned that “the implementation of minimum energy performance standards and renovation programs can generate perverse effects if clear social safeguards are not adopted”, and identified as the main risks “increases in income following energy efficiency works, displacement of vulnerable tenants and exclusion of families unable to finance interventions”.
The PNRE “must include mechanisms that limit income increases based on real energy savings, ensure full financial support for low-income households, guarantee equitable access to financing and establish systems for continuous monitoring of social impacts”, defended the association.
In the area of investment, Zero declared that “there is a lack of transparency about costs, sources of financing and mobilization of public and private capital.
For the association, “it is essential to present clear investment estimates, fully explore European instruments and innovative financing solutions and reinforce the role of energy services companies, always focusing on combating energy poverty”.
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