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Buildings are responsible for around a third of the European Union’s energy-related emissions, making them a prime target for green measures. To reduce the built environment’s carbon footprint, recently agreed EU legislation requires a portion of the bloc’s buildings to be made more energy-efficient.
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires EU countries to renovate the 16% worst-performing non-residential buildings, such as offices and municipal buildings, by 2030 and, by 2033, the worst-performing 26%. When it comes to homes, member states are required to reduce energy usage by 16% by 2030.
The passage of the EBPD through the European legislative process was far from smooth, with several countries pushing back against what they saw as an overreach from Brussels. Countries such as Italy were concerned about the expense of renovation obligations, while Germany saw moves to introduce heat pumps in favour of fossil-fuel boilers as overly prescriptive.
Now that the political debate has concluded and the law is moving to implementation, local, regional and national authorities must align the elements required to make the law a success. This includes achieving buy-in from locals, providing access to financing and ensuring enough professionals are available to physically implement the works.
To aid with this, Efficient Buildings Europe, an industry association, recently released an implementation guide for the EPBD. The document outlines ways that EU countries can not only meet their EPBD targets but surpass them, helping to lower energy bills and improve living conditions for citizens.
Rémi Collombet of Efficient Buildings Europe joins the Urban Report to discuss the EPBD implementation guide and how addressing Europe’s leaky buildings can make the continent more competitive and resilient.
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