Tag: energy performance of buildings

SPECIAL REPORT / The debate on what kinds of buildings we should live and work in is shifting, with construction experts and EU policymakers moving away from focusing simply on energy efficiency to a broader appreciation of sustainable buildings, taking into account their environmental, social and economic impact.

Europe’s rules on the energy performance of buildings are beginning to affect the investment decisions of pension funds and other financial institutions, said Tatiana Bosteels, the head of Responsible Property Investments at Hermes Funds Managers.

Without further guidance, EU countries may mismanage their energy efficiency commitments and risk missing their energy savings' target, says a report by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe.

EXCLUSIVE / More than 70% of EU states could face court action over defiance of building efficiency measures which are slated to account for up to a quarter of the EU’s planned energy savings by 2020, EurActiv has learned.

A year-long fight over renovation rates for public buildings in Europe has resulted in "a brilliant architecture" for revamping the existing stock, the European Parliament's chief negotiator has announced. But only central government "owned and occupied" buildings will be concerned, leaving whole sections unaddressed.

A patchwork of European regulations, directives and strategies aims at making homes and buildings more efficient, but the jury is still out on how well they work.

The European Union has proposed new energy efficiency measures to make good on its pledge to combat climate change and reduce its dependency on imported oil and gas.