Energy performance of buildings: towards climate neutrality by 2050
Draft measures to increase the rate of renovations and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions will be debated on Monday and put to a vote on Tuesday.
To make the building sector climate neutral by 2050, all new buildings should be zero-emission from 2028. Existing residential buildings would have to be classified as at least E on their energy performance by 2030, and D by 2033 - on a scale going from A to G, the latter corresponding to the 15% worst-performing buildings in the national stock of a member state. Non-residential and public buildings would have to achieve the same by 2027 and 2030 respectively.
Facilitate access to grants and funding
National renovation plans should include support schemes to facilitate access to grants and funding. Financial measures should provide an important premium for deep renovations, especially of the worst-performing buildings, and targeted grants and subsidies should be made available to vulnerable households.
Background
According to the European Commission, buildings in the EU are responsible for 40% of our energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. On 15 December 2021, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal to revise the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), as part of the so-called ‘Fit for 55’ package. A new European Climate Law (July 2021) enshrined both the 2030 and the 2050 targets into binding European law.
Procedure Code: 2021/0426(COD)
Procedure: Ordinary legislative procedure, first reading
Debate: Monday, 13 March
Vote: Tuesday 14 March
Press conference: Tuesday, 14:00