On May 31st we brought the patient perspective to the Healthy Building Day conference at the European Parliament. The event was organised to discuss with three Members of the European Parliament the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, currently under revision at Parliament. This legislative piece represents a great opportunity for patients with allergy and respiratory diseases to improve indoor air quality, and to raise awareness about the importance of having healthy environments indoors.
With 90% of people’s lives spent insidoors, there is growing evidence that indoor environmental quality is critical to our health and wellbeing. Poor air quality in Europe has been considered responsible for 2 million healthy years lost every year. The situation is particularly problematic for people with allergy, asthma and COPD, who are the first to react to bad indoor air quality.
Although the Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy of performance of buildings will have a great impact in our respiratory health, the European Commission has not included the health aspect into this directive. EFA is therefore advocating at the European Parliament to include an indoor air quality certificate.
Presented by EFA EU policy adviser Daniela Morghenti, the indoor air quality certificate would increase the protection of people with asthma, allergy, and COPD. Such a certificate could help set and monitor safe levels for volatile compounds indoors and air properties like temperature, dryness, humidity and could be a win-win for public health and performance of buildings, towards new healthy economy.
We spend 90% of our lives indoors. Closed environments directly affect our respiratory health. Our request to have an indoor air quality certificate would lead to the harmonisation of the provisions, criteria, and requirements for air quality indoors in Europe. Health, economy and innovation would all have significant gain.
See Daniela’s full presentation here and the media coverage of the event:
Health actvists join EU building renovation crusade
https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/health-activists-join-eu-building-renovation-crusade/
Indoor Air Quality sneaks into EU buildings law review
https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/indoor-air-quality-sneaks-into-eu-buildings-law-review/