K&H: The EP poured clean water into the glass

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On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted with a large majority the rules that oblige all member states to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) entering the atmosphere through road transport, heating of buildings, agriculture, small industrial facilities and waste management. The draft regulation voted by the EP has yet to be adopted by the Council, and it is not at all certain that the body of heads of state and government will approve it one-on-one.

The time has come for concrete action plans

However, if the Council gives its nod, the tightened rules will require a 40 percent reduction in emissions at the EU level instead of 30 percent. The previous emission reduction targets are rising significantly, so Hungary must reduce its emissions by 18.7 percent by 2030 – compared to the 2005 level – instead of the previous 7 percent. Suba Levente, the sustainability manager of the K&H Group, considers the EP’s decision very positive, because it confirms previously known intentions and because it creates the background for governments to create concrete action plans and strategies to reduce emissions. The sustainability specialist considers it extremely important that these action plans are born within a short period of time, as this is the only way economic actors can adapt to it.

Obvious solutions with favorable financing

Three areas can be identified, which have high GHG emissions, but with some effort, a relatively quick and favorable result can be achieved: energy modernization of real estate; the replacement of combustion engine cars with hybrid or electric cars, as well as crop and animal breeding.
According to Suba Levente, one of the obviously important areas of the national action plan to be developed could be the energetic modernization of the properties – thermal insulation, replacing the cooling-heating system with a more efficient one. This is the area in which all economic actors have a direct interest in reducing emissions, as everyone strives to keep their energy bills under control. With its innovative mortgage loan scheme, which was the first in the country to receive a “green” rating, K&H offers a special solution that allows you to buy a property with a modern energy system, or buy and renovate a property in need of modernization within the framework of a single contract.
The head of sustainability at K&H believes that it is possible to take significant steps in the direction of reducing emissions in the field of road transport, since extremely low-emission hybrid-powered cars and zero-emission electric cars are now available.

Quality of life that we are used to

“The importance of governmental, business and personal decisions related to climate change cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately, the majority of decisions today are still influenced by short-term profit and comfort aspects, but we must give more and more space to long-term thinking, where we evaluate sustainability aspects with at least the same weight as business and comfort aspects. Everyone has their own responsibility in this, without the rapid spread of the view, it will not be possible to maintain the quality of life that humanity is used to even in the medium term,” added the head of sustainability at K&H.