Buildings
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Electrifying Europe’s heating, district systems eye new technology opportunity
Est. 5minThough most legacy systems rely on fossil fuels to provide heat for homes and businesses, new systems are looking towards power-to-heat technology as a possible low-carbon alternative.
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Tech-driven REPowerEU needs a boost says McKinsey
Est. 5minSuccess for the EU’s REPowerEU strategy will make Europe’s buildings more energy efficient and reduce Europe's reliance on Russian fossil fuels, but McKinsey says tech scale-up is needed to reach targets.
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Contested EU green buildings law adopted
Est. 3minThe EU’s buildings directive has been adopted by EU countries, paving the way for national renovation plans amid cheer from the wider energy efficiency industry.
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Transforming our buildings: Europe’s path to sustainability
Est. 5minThe cities of Amsterdam, Stockholm and Nantes offer good examples of how meaningful progress towards decarbonising the building sector can be achieved, while advancing the EU's broader climate objectives, writes Irene García.
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Brussels takes heat pump ‘action plan’ off the agenda
Est. 4minThe European Commission has shelved proposals to boost the roll-out of heat pumps with a dedicated action plan, a move that will likely delay the initiative beyond the EU elections in June.
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Five hidden gems in the EU’s recast buildings directive
Est. 7minLack of finance remains the most frequently reported reason why building owners don’t upgrade their homes to a more energy-efficient one. Peter Sweatman lists five “hidden gems” in the recast EU Buildings Directive which can deliver this.
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EU agrees 2040 fossil boiler ban in revamped green buildings law
Est. 6minFossil fuel boilers will need to be completely phased out by 2040 and subsidies cut from 2025 as part of a political agreement reached by EU legislators on Thursday evening (7 December) to revamp the bloc’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
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EU’s contested green buildings law limps towards the finishing line
Est. 4minNegotiations on the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) are expected to conclude on Thursday evening (7 December), with EU countries set to dilute a proposed mandate to make renovations mandatory.
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How innovation is shaping the future of building renovations
Est. 5minEfficient buildings save energy, money and climate-wrecking emissions. As EU negotiators prepare to hammer out an agreement on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), it is important to highlight that significant innovation is underway in the sector, writes Adrian Joyce.
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Europe’s buildings are off track to climate neutrality
Est. 5minNew data shows the urgency to renovate buildings across Europe, writes Oliver Rapf.
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Will EU’s buildings directive bring benefits for low-income households?
Est. 6minThe Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) provides an essential gateway for citizen participation in the energy system, bringing cheaper bills to low-income households through old-fashioned energy efficiency, writes Louise Sunderland.
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Geothermal: Europe’s next renewable opportunity
Est. 5minGeothermal heat, especially when paired with district heating networks for broad local distribution, is an abundant resource just below our feet. Europe needs more of it to decarbonise the building sector and kick its fossil fuel habit, writes a cross-party group of five MEPs.
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Legislators water down EU buildings directive after marathon talks
Est. 4minLawmakers made headway during a marathon negotiating session on Friday (13 October) to overhaul the EU’s buildings directive, but progress came at the cost of the proposal’s core mechanism to introduce mandatory renovation benchmarks.
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European Parliament wants fair, flexible approach to efficient buildings law
Est. 6minBuilding renovations, like those encouraged under the draft Energy Performance of Buildings directive, are key to improving people's well-being and reducing emissions, but they must be flexible and rolled out with social safeguards, writes Ciarán Cuffe.
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German industry launches last-minute bid to salvage EU buildings law
Est. 4minGermany’s two most influential business associations, BDEW and BDI, have launched a last-minute push in support of the EU buildings directive, in a bid to persuade lawmakers to adopt an ambitious stance on housing renovation.
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EU reaches deal on exit schedule from climate-wrecking F-gases
Est. 4minLawmakers in Brussels have agreed on the dates by which heat pumps and electrical equipment must ditch fluorinated gases and switch to more climate-friendly alternatives.
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EU Parliament approves lowering asbestos exposure limit
Est. 4minThe European Parliament on Tuesday (3 October) approved a directive stepping up protections of workers from health risks related to asbestos and improving the early detection of asbestos fibres.
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Alleviating energy poverty – with fossil fuels?
Est. 5minTo combat energy poverty, governments should direct funding to energy efficiency options and clean technologies that offer a structural solution to rising energy bills, rather than supporting fossil fuel heating, writes Vlasios Oikonomou.
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Berlin considers slashing electricity tax by 95% to boost heat pump uptake
Est. 3minGermany may slash electricity taxes to near-nothing amid flagging heat pump sales, a move backed by liberal and conservative politicians as well as the renewable energy lobby.
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Former MEP: Brussels must not give up on EU green buildings law
Est. 15minThe European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen started its mandate on the good foot when it comes to energy efficiency policies. It must now think about its legacy and hold firm on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which is coming under attack from Eurosceptics in Italy and elsewhere, says Monica Frassoni.
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EU Buildings Directive: Germany signals readiness to stop tighter standards
Est. 2minGerman ministers have stepped up their criticism of proposed EU building regulations, as Housing Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD/S&D) made clear her opposition to mandatory renovations after Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP/Renew) made similar comments.
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Positive energy neighbourhoods: Building a resilient and inclusive Europe
Est. 4minFaced with an energy crisis, Positive Energy Neighbourhoods (PENs) could become Europe’s solution for sustainable and energy-efficient urban spaces as it moves forward with the green transition, write Maarten De Groote and Gabi Kaiser.
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Germany adopts watered-down fossil boiler ban for 2028
Est. 5minThe German parliament adopted on Friday (8 September) a controversial ban on new fossil heaters starting from 2028 at the latest, following months of government infighting and an injunction by the country’s top court.
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Mould, fires: Substandard housing threatens health of Europeans
Est. 5minA report published by the Fondation Abbé Pierre and the European federation working with the homeless highlights poor housing conditions in Europe and the threat they pose to the health and safety of those affected, including certain cancers.