Recent calculations by the International Energy Agency show that the buildings sector accounts for over 30% of the total energy-related CO2 emissions in the European Union. At the same time, the share of total energy-related CO2 emissions of buildings has been fairly stable from 1990 (19%) to 2018 (17%). Therefore, cutting emissions from the buildings sector is pivotal to achieve the EU’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and the intermediate goals established by the European Commission. In particular, the European Commission’s 2030 target plan identifies emission reduction in the building sector as a cost-effective way to achieve the goal of 55% reduced emissions by 2030 and suggests an emission cut by 60% in the building sector compared to 2015.

The SSCF project analyzed the decarbonization of the building sector with a focus on residential real estate. The analysis was motivated by the notion that real estate is a particularly visible asset. Given this visibility, it stands to reason that real estate owners’ investments are partly driven by a desire for social status. Can this desire serve as a motivation for investments that reduce the carbon footprint of residential real estate? This question was the main research question of the SSCF project. The project was funded by the Climate Change Center Berlin Brandenburg.