Climate change and the Italian housing sector

Combating climate change is vital to the pursuit of sustainable development. Since 1997, the international debate over global climate change has focused mainly on the Kyoto Protocol, which calls industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gases emissions by about 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. In particular, the emission reduction target for Italy is of 6,5 percent by 2008. The relation between climate change and human activities is more than evident; starting from the industrial revolution the CO2 concentration has increased of 1/3, contributing to a considerable rise in earth's temperature. According to BRE's studies, the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases is due for 40%-50% to the construction sector, for 25% to the transport sector and for the remaining percentage to industry. In order to meet Kyoto commitment, the recent EU Directive 2002/91 on the energy performance of buildings has fixed precise objectives and requirements to be implemented by the Member States; among these, the setting out of frame methodologies and procedures that take into account the integrated performance of new and existing buildings, including the value of CO2 emissions and the use of renewable energy sources. The Directive will lead the building sector into several structural changes involving almost all the actors of the construction process. The Member States are reacting differently in terms of time and real actions to the EU environmental objectives. The paper will analyse critically the Directive in order to single out its main features, innovations and potentialities in relation to the Italian context and foresee the possible opportunities and obstacles to its application, with specific reference to the housing sector