A team for decarbonization: a study visit in Belgium
The Daphne Team on March 20th and 21st carried out a study visit to the University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven), Belgium. Our colleague Sergio Gatteschi for the lead partner CET reported contents and meaning of the visit.
"In the university hospital complex of Leuven, Belgium, the decarbonisation process is part of the management strategies. A team of experts, each specialized in their own field (data collection, energy, transport, water, biodiversity, relationship with the surrounding area, waste, food), is led by a manager, and has the aim of achieving the European objectives before the set deadlines" Sergio said after after attending the introductory briefing.
"As Belgium’s largest university hospital, UZ Leuven wants to push boundaries by combining specialised care and innovative treatment with humane attention and respect for every patient. Every day, almost 10.000 passionate employees provide the best customised care possible. At UZ Leuven, future care providers and employees are guaranteed high-quality training, with a view to life-long learning and innovation".
The energy consumptions are constantly under examination and a detailed presentation of all the planned actions was provided to the participants to the study visit: "UZ Leuven has a very competent team that has developed a special software to examine energy consumption. On the internet, in a website reserved for operators only, called TERRA digital platform, you can find the structural data of the buildings, the renovation interventions and all the related consumption. A very well done and important operation given the high consumption (equivalent to the electricity consumption of 35,000 families). The targets are more ambitious than legal frameworks, Climate Neutrality by 2050".
The visit also highlighted the importance that UZ Leuven management gives to the many aspects that affect the development of sustainability:
• Energy and climate
• Waste, materials, circularity and food
• Mobility
• Purchasing
• Nature and biodiversity
• Water
• Infrastructure.
Among the many activities carried out in UV Leuven, at least two themes may be a source of inspiration for the Daphne partnership: the continuous census of the state of buildings and energy consumptions and the relationship with the surrounding nature and the increase in biodiversity.