EFA Director of Strategy and Policy Roberta Savli participated on the 14th November at the “Delivering healthy & energy efficient building with Energy performance on Buildings Directive (EPBD)” summit, organised by the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) in Brussels.
The conference gathered European Union (EU) stakeholders, experts and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry representatives to discuss better ways and procedures to achieve healthy nZEB (nearly zero energy building) buildings. Roberta opened the “Health performance of energy efficient buildings” session with an introduction of the importance of good Indoor Air Quality and ventilation.
Pollution is responsible for 9 million deaths/year worldwide (The Lancet report October 2017): in 2015, pollution caused three times as many deaths as AIDS, TB and malaria combined. According to the World Health Organisation, 23% of all deaths globally can be prevented through healthier environments. Roberta explained that people with allergy and respiratory diseases are particularly affected by poor air quality as they are the first to react and worsening of symptoms. “There is a policy gap on indoor air quality and that lack of binding rules is leaving Europeans unprotected against dirty air indoors," Roberta pointed out. EFA has been asking for an indoor air quality certificate to be included in the latest legislation concerning energy efficiency in buildings. A discussion followed with other representatives of the building sector on the importance to have healthier indoor spaces in Europe. Collaboration between different stakeholders is crucial to achieve better IAQ in European buildings and we welcome this way forward.
Working in order to improve clean air is one EFA’s priority, as having a cleaner air means improving our patients lives. Check some of our other activities on indoor and outdoor air quality.
You can check Roberta’s full presentation here and other presentations here
Check the program here