[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/10404\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOn a mission to build energy-efficient homes \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/en\/horizon-magazine\/misiunea-construirea-de-locuinte-eficiente-din-punct-de-vedere-energetic\u0022\u003EVarianta romaneasca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople need to think long term, and not just of the sticker price of a property\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work of Ardeleanu and her fellow campaigners at SMARTER project is nothing short of revolutionary. They have participated in a green certification programme and partnered up with financial institutions with the aim to design homes meeting high environmental standards, make cities prepared and more resilient to climate change, and lead the transition to a safer and cleaner planet.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe buildings we live in are responsible for a huge share of the energy we consume and the carbon we emit \u2013 they account for 40% to 50% of the total CO2 emissions in Europe. But research and innovation can create a lasting environmental, societal and economic impact on cities\u2019 housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Romanian capital Bucharest is one of the cities SMARTER project worked to make housing and living solutions greener.\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022ca62c415-6124-494b-b924-6dd35e1a3358\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Cuza%2099_nov.%202019%20%2812%29.png\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003ERomanian capital Bucharest is one of the cities SMARTER project worked to make housing and living solutions greener.\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERedefining the notion of risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArdeleanu is research director at the Romania Green Building Council, which is part of a consortium of 17 partners mainly comprised of green building councils and banks. They are spread across the EU and beyond \u2013 in Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey, with the initiative now even spreading to countries such as Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil and Zambia. Essentially, they are attempting to revolutionise the housing market by convincing homeowners, banks and developers \u2013 historically slow to embrace such initiatives \u2013 that failure to adopt green standards in residential construction projects is now the risky and costly thing to do.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EBuyers, developers and investors are all now demanding green standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EMonica Ardeleanu, SMARTER\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s not that construction firms will eventually go down this path,\u2019 remarks Ardeleanu. \u2018The train has already left the station. Many of the top construction firms in Romania are already on board.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the Romania Green Building Council playing a pioneering role, over 30 000 apartment units worth over EUR 8.5 billion are under construction or have been completed. These \u2018green homes\u2019 are all over Europe, with a higher concentration in Romania, Poland and Ireland.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArdeleanu says that, in Romania, buyers often snapped up homes even before construction was completed, and that developers \u2018are now prioritising sustainable building approaches\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project is a perfect example of how cities can be among the main drivers of the green and digital transitions. The standards set by the Green Building Council, which are far higher than national energy performance certification programmes, ensure that buyers stay ahead of the curve. What makes a \u2018green home\u2019 special does not only lay in how it strives for carbon neutrality. It is also built in a location adjacent to public transport and amenities, using durable and sustainable materials and \u2018solar orientation\u2019, so that windows are positioned to maximise the energy efficiency of a building, and enduring piping, insulation and water systems. Long term, green homes are cheaper to run, and command a higher resale value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHomes that are within the reach of everyone\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother secret to the success of the initiative is linking green construction standards to green finance, says Ardeleanu. Thirteen partner banks have agreed to issue \u2018green mortgages\u2019 for certified projects, recognising the opportunity of a loan that is less likely to default because of lower operational costs, as these homes will maintain their value for a longer time. Banks offer preferential interest rates on these mortgages, which in turn provides extra incentive for developers to launch green projects, and for buyers and investors to buy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What we are doing here is reshaping consumer demand,\u2019 reflects Ardeleanu. \u2018Buyers, developers and investors are all now demanding green standards.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EMaking cities greener and smarter will improve the quality of life for the 38.9% of the EU population living in a city.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003E\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that green homes are not prohibitive in terms of cost, and the recent surge in energy prices has persuaded many that a longer-term, more holistic approach towards home cost is the wiser path to take.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The benefit of a green mortgage is that the buyer has an immediate financial benefit, with lower energy costs in a higher quality home, which offsets any slight increase in the mortgage payment if the amount borrowed is higher. But we have certified residential projects in the \u2018affordable\u2019, \u2018mid-range\u2019 and \u2018luxury\u2019 categories, so everybody can access them.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScience, research and innovation: our secret ally\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research is part of the EU\u2019s efforts to discover new ways to prepare for climate change, protect our oceans and waters, and fight cancer. Together, EU countries can work more effectively, by pooling funding and expertise from around the world, coordinating international efforts, and benefiting from local knowhow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThanks to EU investments, it is possible for international research collaboration to address challenges too big to be addressed by one country alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin researchers on a mission to protect our planet and society, by sharing, liking and following the stories of #ResearchImpactEU.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-gflrq-lv4ncx56o1uabhvhj6xv2siaicqwy2iikirqy\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-gfLrQ_lv4NcX56o1UaBhVHJ6Xv2siaICqWY2IikIRQY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]