A golden opportunity

Climate change is often mentioned as a cause of more frequent flooding around the world. CO2 emissions, from the burning of fossil fuels, are seen as a major contributing factor. In seeking to implement the climate-protection recommendations of Rio, Kyoto and Marrakech, the German government has gradually tightened its energy regulations for new builds and renovations, the latest standard ('EnEV') coming into force on 1.02.2002. Although catastrophic, the recent floods in Germany represent a golden opportunity to renovate older properties to modern standards and improve energy efficiency. Immediate costs will be higher, but the long-term benefits - economic and ecological - more than compensate.