The SMARTER Finance for EU (SMARTER4EU) is a significant initiative to launch new green finance programs in the European Union and candidate countries. The project resources would create “on the ground” operational and self-sustaining Green Homes and Green Mortgage programmes implemented in Portugal, Spain and Ukraine. The project follows and builds upon on the success of the SMARTER Finance for Families (SMARTER) H2020 project which has introduced into 12 European countries comprehensive Green Homes and Green Mortgage programs. SMARTER4EU will exploit transformational initiatives and trends such as: the acceptance of the “EU Taxonomy on Sustainable Activities”; a growing appreciation for “green finance”; guidance by Central Banks for financial institutions to improve reporting, with a view to increasing transparency and managing climate risk. The project will demonstrate the close “fit for purpose” of the project partners’ green homes certification systems, and answer the need to assess building performance to receive the benefits of discounted green finance. The Green Homes and Green Mortgage systems already implemented through SMARTER project meet and exceed the minimum planned EU Taxonomy requirements for energy performance in the built environment. In addition to the climate mitigation objective, the residential certifications (existing and planned) by the consortium are very well-positioned to assess the “Do No Significant Harm” mandate of the EU Taxonomy, which states that energy performance must not come at the expense of other non-energy green criteria.

The main outcome of SMARTER4EU will be to create an European Centre of Excellence to provide hands-on assistance to financial institutions, developers, investors, green homes solution providers, public authorities and citizens.