EFA participated on 15 September at the EUREKA Roadshow in Italy, as civil society representative. The conference, organised by European Ventilation Industry Association (EVIA) and the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), gathered around 70 participants from industry, academia, and civil society to discuss how the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (commonly known by its acronym “HVACR”) sector could ensure sustainability and comfort, as well as what policies can bring about sustainable change.
EFA Director of Policy and Strategy, Roberta Savli, presented EFA position on indoor air quality and in particular our advocacy efforts in the revision of the Energy Performance Directive of Buildings, currently under review. During the discussion many claimed the need to promote buildings with lower energy consumption and better indoor air quality. Roberta explained how indoor air pollution is responsible for a twice higher risk of developing asthma due to mould and 50% higher risk of allergy because of low ventilation rates. “Up to 900 compounds harmful to health have been detected in indoor air quality,” she pointed out.
Taking into consideration that in the OECD countries (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), people spend on average 90% of their time in indoor environments, she stressed that “improving indoor air quality is key to ensure the sustainability and the comfort within buildings, as well as, and more importantly, the health of European citizens."
Roberta called for an EU indoor air quality certificate to be adopted in the newly revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The objective of this certificate is to prevent chronic respiratory diseases, reduce premature deaths and guarantee the right to have clean air in indoor spaces for everyone. See the latest updates on our call for Healthy Buildings.