SMARTER Finance for EU (SMARTER4EU)

Led by the Romania Green Building Council, the Smarter Finance for EU project has been set up to move the market decisively towards credible green home certifications for new build and retrofit projects. To ensure credible environmental performance and strong governance, the project will meet the green finance definitions in the EU’s new taxonomy for sustainable activities, while utilizing the EU’s Level(s) sustainable buildings framework and CEN standards.

Led by Habitat for Humanity, the project’s energy poverty element will aim to improve the health and comfort, financial stability, and energy performance of very low income, vulnerable households. It will also facilitate European and global discussions on what knowledge and lessons learned can be shared when implementing solutions that combine government incentives with private bank financing. The intent is to demonstrate that energy poverty solutions are “bankable” by private sector banks, provided they are supported with well-designed, hybrid solutions – such as a mixture of private finance and state subsidy – and that the banks are supported with an easy-to-use method of measuring energy efficiency and green performance.

The energy poverty component of the project includes activities such as:

• collaboration with Ukrainian municipalities and stakeholders on restoration of Ukrainian housing stock, contributing to the country’s short and long term recovery
• identification of existing solutions or creating new solutions for using hybrid finance to finance innovation to improve the health and comfort, financial stability, and energy performance of very low income/ vulnerable households.
• online courses free to Municipalities, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders to explain the essentials of residential green construction and the financial benefits for vulnerable persons and governments.

Free consultations for municipalities and relevant public bodies aimed at building of commitments to undertake capacity building and pilot test Green Homes certifications in their affordable housing projects.
 

Follow the project updated LinkedIn and on YouTube. This page was last updated on 30 October 2023. For the most updated information about the project, please visit the EC Funding and Tender website and the website of the project.