RICS has received a European Commission grant of €260,000 to launch Trainrebuild, a two-year project which will advise residential property owners across Europe on how to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

The project aims to increase consumer information and confidence in the environmental solutions and technologies which can play a vital role in reducing energy consumption and generating clean energy in the built environment.

The training materials will be developed using feedback from private sector and public authority practitioners. The outcome will provide independent and transparent information on what measures property owners should take to retrofit their assets and how these solutions can be procured.

Mark Goodwin, RICS Director of External Affairs, said:

“This is a welcome recognition by the European Commission of RICS as a leader in the field of sustainability in the built environment, and of the professional standards and expertise of RICS members.  We look forward to working with our project partners across Europe to deliver a programme that will make a real difference.”

Jerry Percy MRICS, RICS spokesperson, said:

“We will be working with RICS to develop a package including training materials and toolkits detailing the reasons for more energy efficient buildings, the techniques for cost-effectively retrofitting and improving property, occupier behaviour, and mechanisms to reduce the upfront cost of upgrading.

The first meeting of the project partners with European Commission representatives showed a real spirit of collaboration and determination to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time.”
 
-ENDS-

Notes for editors:
Jerry Percy MRICS is Head of Sustainability at Gleeds

TRAINREBUILD will be financed through the European Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation’s “Intelligent Energy Europe” programme, a highly competitive funding stream awarding grants to encourage participation in projects or activities in line with European Union policies.
TRAINREBUILD brings together a group of organisations representing the whole value chain of the building sector, with RICS a key partner in the consortium.

About RICS
RICS is the world’s leading qualification when it comes to professional standards in land, property and construction.

In a world where more and more people, governments, banks and commercial organisations demand greater certainty of professional standards and ethics, attaining RICS status is the recognised mark of property professionalism.

Over 100 000 property professionals working in the major established and emerging economies of the world have already recognised the importance of securing RICS status by becoming members.

RICS is an independent professional body originally established in the UK by Royal Charter. Since 1868, RICS has been committed to setting and upholding the highest standards of excellence and integrity – providing impartial, authoritative advice on key issues affecting businesses and society. RICS is a regulator of both its individual members and firms enabling it to maintain the highest standards and providing the basis for unparalleled client confidence in the sector.

For more information:

Laura Lindberg
PR Manager, RICS Europe
T: +32 (0)2 739 42 27
M: + 32(0)4 8647 33 45
E llindberg@rics.org
W joinricsineurope.eu/