HouseEurope! Let’s stop demolishing and start renovating!
The Mouvement Ecologique is joining forces with ten organisations from various sectors in Luxembourg (architecture, heritage conservation, environment, etc.) to support the European citizens’ initiative “HouseEurope!”. The common objective is to collect at least 4,500 signatures in Luxembourg and 1 million at European level to initiate a decisive change and make renovation simpler, less expensive and more accessible than demolition in Luxembourg and throughout Europe.
Europe will lose one billion square metres of built-up area by 2050. Imagine that in 30 years, this is equivalent to demolishing the surface area of Paris and Berlin. The construction sector accounts for 38% of global CO2 emissions worldwide. Often singled out, the aviation sector accounts for only 3.5%.
The instrument: the European citizens’ initiative
Luxembourg is no exception. Here too, renovation is not a priority. More than 80% of the country’s total waste volume is construction-related. The country is facing a housing crisis, as it is estimated that between 5 and 10% of houses are empty in Luxembourg. Promoting their renovation would be useful.
In the face of these observations, citizens and partners across Europe have decided to change the situation through citizen mobilisation. The conditions are as follows: if one million European citizens from at least seven countries support a request, the European Commission must examine the proposal and set up a working group. This is the ambition of the ‘HouseEurope’ initiative. Luxembourg can play a decisive role in the success of this initiative by collecting 4500 signatures in the country. The aim of House Europe is to become the new norm in Europe.
Sign the petition and make the world a better place!
Support the HouseEurope! petition and make your voice heard for the preservation of old buildings, their renovation or transformation, the protection of resources, climate protection, more social justice and stimulating, future-oriented architecture.
Every signature counts and moves us forward.
According to EU rules, one million signatures must be collected throughout the EU for this initiative. This is until February 2026! And in parallel, 7 EU countries must reach a defined quorum of signatures. For Luxembourg, this quorum is just under 4,500 signatures! A goal that should be easily achievable!
Any citizen who has reached voting age in their country can participate in the petition. For Luxembourg, this means that people aged 18 and over can sign. Third-country nationals residing in the EU are not allowed to participate.
If the required number of signatures is reached at EU level and a sufficient number of citizens support the idea, the European Commission must examine the proposal and set up a working group.
The success of the initiative also depends on Luxembourg!
Recent citizens’ initiatives have shown that it is sometimes easier to obtain 1 million signatures than to reach the necessary quorum in 7 countries. For Luxembourg, the quorum of 4,500 is in fact quite low. This is why you are contributing to the success of the initiative, so that Luxembourg can become one of the 7 decisive countries! Luxembourg will thus have an impact that will extend far beyond the country’s borders.
You too can contribute to the success of the campaign! Sign the official petition to the EU now so that we can reach the 4,500 signatures needed for Luxembourg.
What is HouseEurope calling for?
- Tax relief for sustainable renovations and reused materials, for example an ultra-reduced VAT rate (on all buildings and not just on housing).
- Fair and transparent rules for assessing the potential of existing buildings, so that it is not only the risks that are taken into account.
- and new values for embodied energy and CO2 content related to existing buildings, which are otherwise not taken into account.
Why encourage the renovation of buildings?
Tackling the housing crisis
- Renovating existing buildings is faster and simpler than building new ones.
- The land is already available.
- Around 5 to 10% of houses are empty
Achieving climate targets
- The construction sector is responsible for around 38% of global CO2 emissions (by comparison, the aviation sector accounts for 3.5%).
- The energy used for materials and construction accounts for most of the carbon footprint of a building.
Preserving cultural and historical heritage
- It is crucial to preserve the buildings that define the character of localities and renovate them in an attractive way.
A social issue
- Every year in Europe, buildings capable of housing 50 million people are demolished
- Renovation favours craftsmanship and the maintenance of local businesses
Limit urbanisation and preserve biodiversity
- Building only new structures aggravates the destruction of green spaces
- We need more green spaces in our cities to mitigate the effects of global warming
What can you do?
- You can sign the petition directly online
- To better understand the issues involved in deconstruction and the advantages of renovation, the Luxembourg initiative is launching a series of conferences throughout the year, during which you will be able to exchange views with experts from various fields.
HouseEurope: Citizens’ Initiative for Sustainable Renovation Launched on February 12!
On February 12, more than 300 people gathered at Tramsschapp to witness the official launch of the HouseEurope citizens’ initiative in Luxembourg. Supported by various partners, including the Mouvement Ecologique, this initiative aims to make renovation the new standard in Europe and to promote sustainable solutions for existing buildings.
