Buildings

The policy area of building renovation is not new in the EU and has historically been tackled by the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD, (EU) 2018/844). Renovation of buildings took on even greater importance in the context of the Recovery Plan following the Covid-19 crisis. This is because renovation work can create jobs, boost the economy and also achieve specific, relevant sustainability goals, such as energy efficiency. It is expected up to 160,000 new jobs are created in the construction sector by 2030, energy poverty will be reduced and the quality of life of the EU population will increase.

Buildings-related legislation in the EU already requires all Member States to prepare and implement long-term renovation strategies for the renovation of their building stock to become highly energy efficient and decarbonised by 2050 – in effect making the whole building stock comply with nearly zero-energy performance levels (nZEB).

Very important is to apply the energy efficiency first principle to significantly reduce primary energy consumption in building stock; scale up good practice experiences to fund successful, innovative research into how to deep energy renovate buildings and impose obligations to renovate defined segments of the building stock to an ambitious energy performance requirement, e.g. office buildings. The aim will be to at least double the annual renovation rate of the existing building stock.