Best Policy Practices

Best Policy Practices
Buildings + Energy = Public Policy
Foreword
Buildings, their construction, maintenance, operation, refurbishment
and finally demolition have an enormous impact
on human health, natural resource use, national and local
economies, employment, and the functioning of societies. The
Government of Finland wants to highlight the importance of
these issues at all levels by contributing to the publication of
these best policy practices.
Worldwide 30-40% of all energy is used in buildings.
Almost all of this energy is consumed during the operational
phase of buildings (heating, cooling, lighting, appliances and
demolition). We know that the saving potential is huge and
that saving energy saves cost, the climate and human health.
Given the present construction boom in many parts of the
world, low-energy construction should be the rule, not the
exception! It does not need rocket science but mainly basic
technology, which is already available. Why don’t we mainstream
it? How can public policies and legislation promote
energy efficiency, energy savings and renewable energy use in
the built environment?
A complex network of different professions and industries
is required in new construction, maintenance and refurbishment
of buildings. However, the Government of Finland
acknowledges that the public sector has to make a strong
commitment to sustainable construction. Regional, national
and local governments are not only regulators but also as
users and owners of buildings.