National governments now have to implement regulation and support schemes to achieve their commitment.

The BPIE guide supports policy makers to develop and agree effective instruments which will lead to healthy and climate-friendly buildings for all citizens. It includes good practice examples from around Europe and covers long-term renovation strategies, financing renovation and calculating energy performance as well as energy performance certificates and the smart readiness indicator.

The amended text of the EPBD was published in the Journal of the European Union on June 19 2018, coming into force on July 9 2018. By March 10 2020, every member state must transpose it into national law.

The BPIE report, Future-proof buildings for all Europeans – A guide to implement the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, addresses various aspects of the Directive, offering member states a comprehensive tool kit to meet the decarbonisation challenge.

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40 per cent of energy consumption and 36 per cent of CO2 emissions in the EU. On average, we spend 90 per cent of our time indoors and the quality of the indoor environment affects our health and wellbeing.

Two-thirds (65 per cent) of the European building stock was built before 1980; about 97 per cent of the EU’s buildings must be upgraded to achieve the 2050 decarbonisation goal, but only 0.4-1.2 per cent are renovated each year.

A highly efficient, technically-equipped and smart building stock will be the cornerstone of a decarbonised energy system. Highly efficient buildings have an important role to play in achieving a climate-neutral European economy, through renewable energy production, control, storage and demand response, as well as green charging stations for electric vehicles.

Upgrading building stock to high efficiency levels is a precondition to achieving Europe’s climate promise made within the Paris Agreement.

Click here to view the guide.