ANALYSIS: Sustainability - a fading fashion or the last chance for recovery

The energy efficiency concept is probably the most underlined and often addressed element in the terminology linked to sustainability. This feature can be integrated both in the chapter of requirements related to economic performance, as well as in the one referring to the environmental aspects (due to the negative environmental impact of the electricity production which uses fossil fuels). According to the available data, the number of buildings that have undergone certification of sustainability in Romania is very low, approximately 40 buildings having, in various forms, approvals from LEED or BREEAM. This reality places our country far away from the targets established in Europe, although in recent years a tendency to meet the development goals stipulated in the new international requirements has installed. The trend is supported mainly by the demand of multinational companies because their strategic orientation requires such solutions. The national legislation is somewhat favorable to the implementation of the concept of sustainability, and the only impediments are currently related to the difficulties of financing these exclusive projects. For public buildings it is mandatory to respect the general obligations established in the European Union Directive 31/2010/EC stating that, from 2018, the requirements related to energy efficiency, green energy sources integration and the decrease of the carbon footprint must be implemented for this kind of buildings. We will see whether these amendments will be respected, given the difficulty of obtaining the funds necessary for the proper implementation of such programs. Moreover, complex training is required in order to qualify the experts from national regulatory and control bodies, given that, even from this point of view, Romania has a lot to catch up with in order to reach the performance registered in other EU countries. If declarative things seem to be resolved in an acceptable manner, we have to see whether the future will confirm or deny the respecting of the commitments taken by public authorities.