How has the more than €600 billion recovery plan revitalised Europe?

Among the many projects funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), one area has taken on particular significance in the wake of the scorching summer Europeans have just experienced: improving the energy efficiency of school buildings.

In Belgium‘s Francophone community government, for example, 149 school sites have been selected for renovation, including the Athénée royal de Ganshoren. Just a few years ago, its secondary school was so dilapidated that students, parents and teachers protested to demand renovation work. Yet the task remains immense: much of the French-speaking school building stock is still outdated and energy inefficient.