Sustainability

Knauf Insulation joins forces with partners to launch a 'Renovation Wave' association in Poland

By Knauf Insulation
February 17, 2022

Knauf Insulation is supporting a campaigning new initiative to supercharge energy efficient building renovation across Poland.

Fala Renowacji (Renovation Wave), which is set to become an official association registered under Polish law, aims to put energy efficiency first in public policies, upscale deep renovation across Poland to take meaningful climate action, help create new jobs and tackle the fuel poverty that impacts millions of Poles.

The initiative’s new Managing Director is Justyna Glusman who was formerly the Deputy Mayor of Warsaw in charge of sustainable development and greenery. Justyna was responsible for driving building sustainability in the Polish capital with a focus on renovation, reducing energy poverty and improving air quality.

Energy efficiency tops public agenda

Justyna Glusman, Managing Director of Fala Renowacji, says: “Fala Renowacji will provide input to public documents concerning the energy efficiency of buildings and campaign for effective ways to fund renovation as well as participate in social consultations and disseminate knowledge on the vital role of building renovation in the transition to net zero."

“While energy efficiency and the need to reduce energy demand have not always enjoyed the attention they deserve in the context of climate change, recent fuel price increases have again pushed this issue to the top of the political agenda”, Justyna Glusman says.

Mirosław Faluta, Knauf Insulation’s Country Manager for Poland and Board member of the future new association, says: “Knauf Insulation’s role as one of the founders of this new initiative highlights our company commitment to create better buildings For A Better World.

“There is a lot of work for us to do. The annual renovation rate in Poland is only about 1%. Our ambition is to triple this. A key concern is the 5.4 million single-family homes which are inhabited by half the population in Poland. More than 70% of them are low or very low in terms of energy efficiency and many have never been renovated”, Mirosław Faluta says.

Energy efficiency first must be a Polish priority

The initiative is the national partner of the European Renovate Europe campaign and we are working together to find new ways to channel funding to effective renovation initiatives in Poland as well as focusing on energy efficiency first principles.

Katarzyna Wardal, Knauf Insulation’s EU Public Affairs Manager and member of Fala Renowacji

“Buildings are responsible for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of energy use in Europe. Most of those emissions are generated from the operational energy used to heat buildings that is why deep renovation designed to significantly improve the building envelope has to be a Polish priority before changing energy sources or heating systems in buildings.”

Widespread deep renovation that achieves significant emissions savings in Poland would also be in line with the European Union’s commitment to reduce the continent’s greenhouse emissions by 55% by 2030 and the European Commission’s Renovation Wave which aims to renovate 35 million buildings by the end of this decade.

300,000 new jobs over 30 years

Tackling fuel poverty and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs would also be huge national benefits of an effective nationwide renovation wave in Poland.

Comprehensive renovation of Poland’s building stock would create up to 300,000 new direct and indirect jobs over the next 30 years and provide a significant economic boost to the Polish economy.

Agnieszka Strzemińska, Knauf Insulation’s EMEA Group Commercial Excellence Manager, and member of Fala Renowacji

“Furthermore, it is estimated that more than 12% of Poles — 4.6 million people — are living in fuel poverty and cannot afford to heat their homes. This is a disgrace. We have to deliver better living conditions to the most vulnerable in society”, Agnieszka Strzemińska says.