Chapter 1 Introduction to European Union Taxonomy

Abstract

Taxonomy is the common name for an EU regulation that supports companies in sustainable environmental and climate action (Regulation [EU] No. 2020/852). It is a classification tool designed for investors, companies, and financial institutions to define the environmental impact of business activities and the requirements that organisations must meet to be considered as sustainable. The aim of this book is to examine the EU taxonomy from the built environment perspective and the ways in which it can be used to build resilience in real estate. It presents the issues, hot points, and possible choices from the designers, construction consultants, and investing bodies' points of view, those who must set forth initial conditions, which should later become the keystones for greener developments. It brings together the expertise of a unique team of both researchers and professionals and presents a methodology, case studies, and solutions which together comprise a novel understanding of the taxonomy’s influence on the pre-construction phase. The book: • describes the role of the built environment within sustainable development and how real estate can be used to build resilience with the use of taxonomy. • describes the characteristics of resilient environmentally friendly cities in the future. • proposes a roadmap to demonstrate urban policies that promote decarbonisation; and •enables investors to compare their products, operations, and strategies in terms of sustainability. Overall, this book is essential reading for decision-makers in the public and private sectors, urban developers, space and spatial designers, architects, planners, community stakeholders, and real estate investors. Chapter 1 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.