Buildings

NewsAdvocacy Lab Content
28-05-2024

Electrifying Europe’s heating, district systems eye new technology opportunity

Est. 5min

Though 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.

NewsAdvocacy Lab Content

Tech-driven REPowerEU needs a boost says McKinsey

Est. 5min

Success 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.

14-04-2024

Contested EU green buildings law adopted 

Est. 3min

The 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.

23-02-2024

Transforming our buildings: Europe’s path to sustainability

Est. 5min

The 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.

21-12-2023

Brussels takes heat pump ‘action plan’ off the agenda

Est. 4min

The 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.

08-12-2023

Five hidden gems in the EU’s recast buildings directive

Est. 7min

Lack 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.

EU agrees 2040 fossil boiler ban in revamped green buildings law

Est. 6min

Fossil 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).

07-12-2023

EU’s contested green buildings law limps towards the finishing line

Est. 4min

Negotiations 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.

07-12-2023

How innovation is shaping the future of building renovations

Est. 5min

Efficient 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.

23-11-2023

Europe’s buildings are off track to climate neutrality

Est. 5min

New data shows the urgency to renovate buildings across Europe, writes Oliver Rapf.

16-11-2023

Will EU’s buildings directive bring benefits for low-income households?

Est. 6min

The 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.

Energy 19-10-2023

Geothermal: Europe’s next renewable opportunity

Est. 5min

Geothermal 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.

Legislators water down EU buildings directive after marathon talks

Est. 4min

Lawmakers 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.

12-10-2023

European Parliament wants fair, flexible approach to efficient buildings law

Est. 6min

Building 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.

German industry launches last-minute bid to salvage EU buildings law

Est. 4min

Germany’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.

EU reaches deal on exit schedule from climate-wrecking F-gases

Est. 4min

Lawmakers 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.

Health 03-10-2023

EU Parliament approves lowering asbestos exposure limit

Est. 4min

The 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.

Energy 28-09-2023

Alleviating energy poverty – with fossil fuels?

Est. 5min

To 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.

Berlin considers slashing electricity tax by 95% to boost heat pump uptake

Est. 3min

Germany 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.

Former MEP: Brussels must not give up on EU green buildings law

Est. 15min

The 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.

Politics 18-09-2023

EU Buildings Directive: Germany signals readiness to stop tighter standards

Est. 2min

German 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.

11-09-2023

Positive energy neighbourhoods: Building a resilient and inclusive Europe

Est. 4min

Faced 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.  

Germany adopts watered-down fossil boiler ban for 2028

Est. 5min

The 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.

Health 05-09-2023

Mould, fires: Substandard housing threatens health of Europeans

Est. 5min

A 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.