The Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative Bauhaus in Hamburg: Mobilising the EEMI community for COP26

Press Release

Brussels, 29 October 2021 – For immediate release

Following on from the significant recognition of Energy Efficient Mortgages in the European Commission’s proposal for an amended Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) implementing the final Basel III Framework, the Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative (EEMI), led by the European Mortgage Federation – European Covered Bond Council (EMF-ECBC), is delighted to announce the first physical Bauhaus Event in Hamburg, Germany on 23 and 24 November 2021.

The EEMI Bauhaus is the place where the community is developing ideas and building momentum to stimulate and facilitate cross-sectoral brainstorming on the design of a new Industry value chain, bringing together digitalisation and sustainability in support of the development of Energy Efficient Mortgages. The EEMI community is ready to respond with concrete market actions to the COP26 urgency call to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The most concrete expression of this is the Energy Efficient Mortgage Label. This is a crucial market instrument – bringing together 31 lending institutions from 13 countries covering 39 green products – integrating market best practices, harmonising Taxonomy compliance, disclosure and due diligence criteria. More importantly, it is acting as a catalyst for a new, green ecosystem around the housing market. This Initiative represents a high-quality standards market pillar to support the Renovation Wave Strategy and the EU Green Deal.

Sustainability is the new reality and is at the heart of the EEMI. However, energy efficient mortgages go far beyond environmental considerations only. They not only give citizens and municipalities the opportunity to directly undertake climate change mitigation actions by retrofitting their homes and buildings, but also significantly contribute to financial stability by reducing credit risk for lending institutions and to the real economy, by driving wealth creation through increased property value and stimulating investment and the job market. Ultimately energy efficient mortgages deliver benefits to society as a whole.

During the Bauhaus Event, energy efficiency and its digital, regulatory and risk-related implications will be central, whether they touch upon the role the banking industry can play in this regard, but also on the broader actions needed to rethink urban areas and involve public authorities in these matters.

The programme of the EEMI Days includes informal moments for exchange between participants, and also time to visit the green HochBunker. The latter is a grey, concrete colossus rising from the Heiligengeistfeld zone, an integral part of the city’s landscape. It symbolises a successful conversion of a dark past into a resolutely forward-looking project of peace, bringing with it a green Renaissance, in the image of the spirit instilled by the EEMI and the New European Bauhaus: bring together energy efficiency and market innovation to fund the hope for a better future.

Commenting on this, Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative Coordinator, Luca Bertalot said:

“ The spirit of the EEMI Bauhaus is to gather ideas and identify solutions to enable financial institutions to build an ecosystem and deploy resources for consumers, families and businesses with a view to supporting them in a transition economy. Sustainability is an imperative and we need to build resilience. We are investing in changing lives through concrete actions against climate change with the delivery of a solution-oriented approach to fighting energy poverty and securing social inclusion. With this forward-looking perspective, we are shaping the present to deliver a better future for the next generations.”

Commenting on this, Hamburg Network Connector, Tobias Temmen stated:

“ As a former banker, I acknowledge the real estate financing industry’s importance, dynamics, and power. As a former strategy consultant, I recognize the importance of ambitious and inspiring strategies, feasible solutions, and fearless execution. As a networker in Hamburg’s startup and innovation ecosystem, I witness the impact of new ventures and business models. The spirit of EEMI’s Bauhaus will undoubtedly shape the industry – the real estate financing and banking sector and construction, architecture, and companies like Factory Hammerbrooklyn. I am happy and proud to contribute to the movement; what an excellent opportunity to impact the future of funding.”

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What: Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative’s Bauhaus Event in Hamburg, Germany

When: 23 November 2021: EEMI Overview and Regulatory Landscape

24 November 2021: EEMI Bauhaus Event – Let’s Green the Future

Where: Venue: St Pauli Bunker

Address:  Feldstraße, 20359 Hamburg, Germany

How: Register here – seats are limited to 100 people.

Agenda & practical information: click here