Energy performance of buildings
Policies to mitigate high energy prices should fast-track building renovation
It is troubling to see that buildings have been given a relatively small space in the overall strategy to combat rising energy prices, writes Oliver Rapf.
LEAK: Draft EU law introduces new standards to decarbonise buildings by 2050
A draft EU directive, due for publication on 14 December, introduces minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings undergoing major renovation works as part of a renewed push to achieve a zero-emission building stock by 2050.
A piecemeal approach on energy standards for buildings won’t work
Decarbonising Europe’s building stock requires robust Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), not a piecemeal approach that fails to regulate buildings that are ripe for renovation projects, writes Adrian Joyce.
Heating homes with hydrogen fails on economic and climate merit: report
As homeowners across Europe worry about the fate of their ageing gas boilers, some have pinned their hopes on switching them to hydrogen – but this may not be the way forward, a new study suggests.
The new European Bauhaus: Bringing the Green Deal into our living spaces
The New European Bauhaus launched by the European Commission last year will see scientists, designers, architects, engineers, and students exchange ideas this week on green projects that will help put Europe on a path to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, writes Florika Fink-Hooijer.
Community renovation projects are key to supporting the green transition
Both tenants and homeowners need to be involved in renovation programmes to bring Europe's ageing building stock in line with its climate goals. Energy cooperatives could be one way to encourage citizens' support, writes Ciarán Cuffe.
No more time for half-measures on renovation
In times of climate crisis, it is no longer acceptable that our buildings swallow up so much of the limited energy resources and leave our citizens so vulnerable to energy price hikes, writes Adrian Joyce.
EU’s buildings directive should give EV owners the right to a smart plug
Smart EV charging receives little attention in the debate around the energy performance of buildings. However, with a ‘right to plug’, buildings can spearhead the transition towards clean mobility, write Luka De Bruyckere and Jaap Burger.
Global energy crunch shows need for renewables and green savings
Now is no time to go easy on fossil fuels. It is the moment to deploy more clean sources of energy and to consume less of it, writes Harry Verhaar.
Green mortgages to help EU achieve climate goals
The EU has utilised portfolio standards to cut vehicle fleet emissions, and climate policy advisors are now pushing similar strategies for emissions reduction in buildings, via 'green' mortgages to finance deep renovations.
Gas prices: keep calm and renovate buildings
There will be no quick fix to Europe’s costly dependence on gas imports. But leaders do have the power to put in place lasting renovation solutions to cut consumer bills and deliver our climate commitments, writes Brook Riley.
EU countries slam new carbon market plans as energy prices soar
The European Commission’s plan to introduce a separate carbon market for road transport and the building sector, alongside the EU's existing Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), was widely criticised by EU environment ministers at their meeting last week.
The only quick-fix to Europe’s energy price crisis is saving energy
Faced with rising energy prices, the only thing Europe can quickly do to prevent a potentially difficult winter is to actively promote energy conservation in both the residential and industrial sectors, write Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann.
EU countries urged to step up emission cuts in buildings, transport and agriculture
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's environment committee urged EU countries on Monday (27 September) to step up their efforts to reduce emissions in sectors such as agriculture, buildings and transport, which are currently not covered by the bloc's emissions trading scheme.OpinionPromoted content
OH Leuven Implements New Mobility Plan
OH Leuven has worked on a new mobility plan for the King Power @ Den Dreef stadium before the return of the supporters. A mobility study was carried out by a specialist agency and supporters were also surveyed online. In addition, consultations were held with the various stakeholders such as the City, the neighbourhood committee, surrounding organisations, among other interested parties.
How the European Central Bank can unleash the building renovation wave
Trillions is needed for the deep building renovations required to meet Europe's climate targets. To make this happen, EU institutions need to use the network of banks across Europe and incentivise loans for home renovation, argue finance campaigners.
Achieving climate neutrality will depend on how we decarbonise our building stock
Effiecient, technological and smarter buildings should be the cornerstone of Europe's decarbonisation, but more effort needs to go towards renovating the bloc's current building stock, writes Seán Kelly.
It’s high time to make the EU’s buildings directive fit for 2030 and beyond
The make-or-break decade for deep cuts in energy consumption and carbon emissions has already begun, writes Oliver Rapf. Now it’s time to radically revise our legislation, in particular the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), he argues.
Sustainable living space in a world of limits: a need for dialogue
Challenges to ecological and social sustainability require us to integrate limits to resource consumption into all areas, including residential space, write Doris Fuchs, Sylvia Lorek, Pia Mamut and Nils Blossey.
Carbon pricing in buildings and transport is necessary but must be done well
Without pricing CO2 emissions from buildings and transport, Europe will miss its -55% emissions target, but it must be introduced bearing in mind the political and societal risks, particularly in countries like Poland, writes Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera.
Carbon pricing in buildings? Help renovate and fuel-switch to renewables first
Including buildings in an emissions trading scheme will have a limited impact on emissions. The EU must also focus on an ambitious revision of the energy performance of buildings directive to ensure that emissions are sufficiently decreased, writes Monica Frassoni.
Climate legislation overhaul opens door to geothermal, but not wide enough
The recent overhaul of European climate legislation to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 is a good first step towards supporting geothermal energy, but goes little further, according to a former Bulgarian environment minister.OpinionPromoted content
EFDN Members Commit to their Environmental Roles with Sustainable Initiatives
The European Football for Development Network highlights diverse initiatives brought by football clubs to commit to environmental issues. In Belgium and Norway, two clubs have settled new initiatives to develop sustainable changes to their stadium.
Tackling energy poverty is a non-negotiable part of the green transition
Europe's new climate legislation must focus on renovating its inefficient buildings and lifting millions of people out of energy poverty, but that is only possible if the EU works together with local governments, writes Emil Boc.Supporter
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 893858.
