Relating sustainability indicators to the refurbishment of the existing building stock

The construction sector and the associated built environment have an oversized footprint. They are responsible for more than a third of global resource consumption and an estimated 40% of the total waste generation, contribute up to 30% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions and consume a third of all energy. The retention, rehabilitation and reuse of the existing building stock play a pivotal role in the sustainable development of the city. However, there is an ongoing debate on evidencing the sustainability of refurbishment in contrast to demolition and new construction. On the one hand, a newly constructed building can achieve higher operating energy efficiency on the short term, on the other hand, when looking at lifespan, material use and waste generation, re-use or continued use of the buildings is more environmentally sustainable than to demolish and replace them. This paper provides a review of the role of sustainability in the built environment and reflects on this from the perspective of refurbishment; revealing the state of the art regarding the definitions of sustainability, the sustainability legislation on different scale levels and the assessment methods used to certify sustainable buildings. Subsequently, these different aspects will be put in relation to each other and assessed from the perspective of refurbishment.