Combined seismic and environmental upgrading of existing buildings: the programme of the EAEE Working Group

There is an increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable retrofitting of existing buildings for achieving climatic and energy objectives in the EU. The energy consumed in buildings, and in general, in the construction sector, is one of the most significant sources of CO2 emissions in Europe. In specific areas, when planning retrofit interventions, in addition to energy efficiency, the improvement in structural building resilience to natural hazards is requested. Hence, reducing buildings' vulnerability and increasing at the same time their energy efficiency is of paramount importance to the European economic, environmental and social goals. Thus, under the mandate of the European Association of Earthquake Engineering, a Working Group focused on “Combined seismic and environmental upgrading of existing buildings” has been activated. The mission of the Working Group is to help in disseminating technical content of solutions and methods that can both reduce seismic vulnerability and increase energy efficiency, resulting in a significant reduction of the environmental impact. The Working Group involves several experts from the worldwide scientific community who have already participated in activities such as the REEBUILD pilot project. This paper presents the programme that the Working Group intends to follow.