New guide will help boost Energy Performance Directive for Buildings

The EPBD must be transposed by European Union Member States by March 10, 2020, and The European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE) has developed a guide to help policy makers fully unlock its potential.

EuroACE guide gives strategic insight

“Our buildings consume more than 40% of Europe’s energy and create 36% of its energy-related CO₂ emissions. The revised EPBD will help Member States put energy efficiency first — saving money, creating jobs, tackling fuel poverty and helping Europe meet its climate commitments,” said our EU Public Affairs Manager Katarzyna Wardal.

“The information in this practical guide provides the strategic insights that policy makers and ministry officials need to make this transformational directive a successful reality.”

The guide’s recommendations to Member State policy makers include: creating dedicated well-resourced departments to implement the directive; constant structured engagement with building stakeholders and the public; linking the directive’s 2030 and 2040 milestones to long-term renovation strategies and benchmarking progress using measurable progress indicators; introducing building renovation passports; sharing data effectively and using public funds to de-risk investments and unlock private money.

Helping Member States to be ambitious

EuroACE Secretary General Adrian Joyce this week described the amended EPBD as one of the most important changes that has occurred in the EU buildings sector in the past 15 years.

“At last legislators have, by requiring the preparation and implementation of long-term renovation strategies, formally recognised that the biggest challenge in the sector is not the standards we use for new buildings but the ones we use to renovate existing ones,” he said.

“We trust that this Guide will be a useful reference document for public and private stakeholders that are engaged in addressing the challenge of transforming our building stock to be highly energy efficient and decarbonised by 2050.”

Speaking at a webinar organised on April 8 by EuroACE in collaboration with BUILD UP to accompany the Guide, Hélène Sibileau, the association’s Senior EU Affairs Manager said: “Having followed the EPBD revisions since its first publication, we wanted to share our knowledge and expertise and help motivate Member State officials and other stakeholders to implement ambitious policies at national level.”

For further information

The EuroACE guide is available for free and the webinar can be followed here. Knauf Insulation as a member of EuroACE contributed to the guide’s recommendations. The association campaigns for ambitious EU building energy efficient policies and represents 14 companies with more than 286,000 employees.