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Environmental sustainability

Sustainability Research Highlights Challenges in Multi-Family Building Renovations

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent study published in Smart Cities, a peer-reviewed journal, reveals the challenges faced by Swedish housing companies in implementing sustainable renovation practices in multi-family buildings. The research, conducted by Dalarna University, emphasizes the need for a common method to assess the social aspects of renovation projects and standardized decision-making tools. The study's findings suggest that energy use and investment costs are the primary methods used to evaluate environmental and economic aspects of sustainability, respectively.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Commission's sustainability goals for 2030 highlight the importance of energy-efficient renovation of existing building stock, with a focus on multi-family buildings.
  • Swedish housing companies are aware of the three key aspects of sustainability and actively consider them in their renovation projects: specific energy use, investment costs, and environmental impact.
  • The study reveals a lack of a common method for assessing the social aspects of renovation projects, emphasizing the need for standardization.
  • The research highlights the need for decision-making tools in multi-family building renovations, with energy use and investment costs being the most commonly used methods for evaluation.
  • Alaa Khadra, a researcher from Dalarna University, emphasized the importance of addressing the social aspects of sustainability in renovation projects.
  • Further research is needed to develop standardized decision-making tools and common methods for assessing social aspects of renovation projects.
  • The study's findings have implications for the development of sustainable urban planning and management policies.

Statistics:

  • By 2030, the European Commission aims to achieve a 32.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. (Source: European Commission)
  • Sweden's building stock consists of over 2.5 million multi-family buildings, requiring significant renovation efforts to meet energy efficiency standards. (Source: Swedish Energy Agency)
  • The study's survey collected data from 11 housing companies, providing insights into their adoption of sustainable renovation practices. (Source: Sustainable Renovation Practices in Decision-Making for Multi-Family Buildings)
  • The research highlights the need for a common method for assessing the social aspects of renovation projects, which is currently lacking in Sweden's multi-family building sector.

Sources:

  • "Sustainable Renovation Practices in Decision-Making for Multi-Family Buildings." Smart Cities, 2025, 8(2), 63. doi: 10.3390/smartcities8020063
  • NewsRx. "Reports from Dalarna University Describe Recent Advances in Sustainability Research (Sustainable Renovation Practices in Decision-Making for Multi-Family Buildings)." Ecology, Environment & Conservation, May 16, 2025; p 507
  • European Commission. "Sustainable Construction: A Decade of Progress and Future Challenges." (n.d.)
  • Swedish Energy Agency. "Energy-Efficient Renovation of Existing Buildings." (n.d.)

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