Real estate launches the European decarbonization strategy

«It is certainly more difficult to act on existing assets, especially if they are historic (a virtuous example in Italy is the redevelopment of the building in Corso Italia 23, in Milan), but even in these cases today there are technologies and sensors that, once installed, make it possible to enormously reduce consumption, even up to 30%, involving tenants in monitoring and controlling the systems», continues Saponara.

«At the moment there are about 30 buildings that we are transforming through our Building Signature Program – these are completed or ongoing projects throughout Europe – and there will be 117 in the world (seven in Italy) by 2025. From this point of view, one of the most advanced is Castellana 200, in Madrid. In the next five years, there are around 80 European buildings where we plan to implement the program», adds Saponara. On the residential sector, which represents 14% of the Allianz portfolio, it is more difficult to act, but Pimco does it by planning the capex and implementing consumption management and monitoring technologies as the portfolio rotates. “We are doing it in Spain on 12 buildings,” concludes Saponara.

On the subject of decarbonisation, not far from the headquarters of the Uli convention, the Madrid Nuevo Norte master plan of the company Crea took shape, one of the largest urban transformations in Europe awaiting redevelopment for decades, which will affect 5.6 km a north of the Chamartín station and will regenerate over 2.3 million m2, committing the city for 25 years. A mix-use project, developed over the years together with the local community that fully supports it, in four tranches (works should start in 2025 in the first section) that embraces residential, including social housing, commercial and tertiary. The aim is to merge reconversion of former industrial areas and climate-neutral buildings, re-naturalization of a large urban area and cultural and social regeneration. All this to position the area as a hub for attracting talent and innovation, also thanks to a radical mobility project that will include cycle paths, new subway stops, high-speed trains and last-mile logistics.

Sustainability ambitions take the form of a holistic approach that goes far beyond the 400,000 m2 of green areas. To name a few: the project provides for the on-site recycling of 800 thousand tons of waste generated by demolitions, which will be reused as building materials with a rate approaching 90%; it is planned to integrate the production of solar energy also in the streets and squares of the new district and, as far as the buildings are concerned, all will have Passivhaus standards and will produce a quantity of renewable energy up to four times higher than that envisaged by national regulations. Rainwater and gray water will be used for irrigation and street cleaning and drainage systems that mimic the natural conditions of the soil, also allowing for groundwater recharge.

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