In this edition, Josefina Lindblom of DG Environment asks Ciarán Cuffe MEP about the implications of the European Parliament’s negotiated position on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) – confirmed on 14 March 2023.

Welcome! Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and explain how you came to take on the role in securing agreement by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on their position on revising the EPBD? 

‘I am the Green Party MEP for Dublin, Ireland, former Irish Minister of State for climate change, and a trained architect and urban planner. In the European Parliament, I sit on the energy (ITRE), transport (TRAN) and regional affairs (REGI) committees for the Greens/EFA political group.

Buildings are a key focus area for me on the ITRE committee, and I have worked with a wide range of stakeholders since the beginning of the mandate to maximise the potential of EU policy in this area to bring down emissions, lower bills and provide more comfortable homes for all. In 2020, I was Rapporteur of an own initiative report on ‘Maximising the Energy Efficiency of the EU building stock.’ I was later appointed Rapporteur for the Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in February 2022. Just two months ago, the European Parliament approved the ambitious deal we negotiated on this law. Now, we are looking forward to trilogues.’

Would you please outline why it is important to revise the EPBD now and also tell us about your work as a Rapporteur (reporting to the Parliament), working with MEPs to secure an agreement on ambitious changes, ahead of negotiations with EU countries?

‘Soaring energy prices have put the focus on energy efficiency and saving measures, and the potential of buildings to exploit local renewables to continuously reduce energy bills, increase the resilience and competitiveness of the energy system and reduce energy import dependency. The use of  buildings is responsible for approximately 40 % of Europe’s energy consumption and 36 % of its CO2 emissions.

It is a no brainer – we have to improve the performance of our buildings to respond effectively to the cost of living crisis and the threat of climate change. The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) charts a course for the EU to achieve this.

I identified my priorities from the outset of the negotiations: developing ambitious renovation requirements and protecting vulnerable households (who generally live in the worst performing buildings) in the process. I am proud of the progress we have made so far towards these goals. I was lucky enough to work with an ambitious group of shadow rapporteurs that managed to get a strong legislation over the line, and I am hoping this will strengthen our hand going into the trilogue discussions with the Council.’

What are some of the concrete benefits citizens can expect out of the revisions, thinking about overall reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions?

‘At the end of the day, this directive is about protecting households from increased fuel prices and saving money for families in the long term. Millions of buildings in the EU – seven out of ten – are energy inefficient. Citizens and businesses across Europe are paying the price for this inefficiency in their energy bills, which reached record levels over the last winter. We cannot allow this situation to continue. We can stop this with a robust and ambitious energy efficiency policy for Europe’s building stock.

Renovation clearly has a positive impact on the energy bills – the cheapest energy is the energy we do not use. Existing buildings in EPC class G consume on average ten times as much energy as the new and properly renovated buildings that are now rated in the top A class. Better insulation (of windows, roofs, walls, etc.), more efficient heating and cooling systems, smart controls, on-site renewables are all measures leading to higher energy performance and will lead to lower energy needs and use, better living conditions and reduced energy bills.

The use of buildings account for 40 % of our total energy demand. The more efficient and performing our buildings are, the less dependent we become on the import of fossil fuels and the more resilient the energy system is. This leads to more predictability of prices, protecting citizens from price spikes.

The EPBD will also lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions due to reduced energy consumption and parallel increase in energy efficiency (the use of buildings accounts for 36 % of Europe’s CO2 emissions as well as promote a healthier indoor environment through new provisions on air quality, pollutants and noise).’

How do you see the role of the Level(s) common language framework for buildings in supporting the real estate sector and buildings professionals to fulfil the obligations introduced by the planned revisions to the EPBD?

‘The Level(s) framework plays an important role in the EPBD. The metrics on both operational and embodied emissions as well as the overall life cycle Global Warming Potential is based on the Level(s) framework. This is also the basis for the common EU framework for data regarding specific construction products and technical building systems. Therefore, the role of the Level(s) framework is central to ensure that there is EU coordination within the building and construction sector.‘

How do you perceive the reaction among buildings professionals, policy makers and the wider public to this process?

‘It was definitely a mixed reaction. Some industries and consumers have legitimate concerns over funding and finances, and the Parliament negotiating team has developed amendments to the Commission proposal to address these. There are also issues regarding market bottlenecks and industry capacity. We are hoping that the EPBD sends a market signal that will pave out a pathway for industry and will facilitate the goal of carbon neutral buildings by 2050.

Other sectors praised the ambition of the text, noting that this legislation will lead to a boost in the construction sector and the creation of thousands of green jobs, not to mention lead to the drastic improvement of the building stock and a general improvement of living standards across the EU.’

The revised position contains a focus on energy poverty too. Can you tell us more about that?

‘Under the position approved by Parliament, the EPBD aims to legally enshrine key recommendations from the Greens/EFA Energy Poverty Handbook. It will provide access to social housing and good quality rented properties for people at risk of energy poverty, and prioritise funding to vulnerable households. Member States are required to adopt social safeguards, such as banning evictions or disproportionate rent increases. They must also include specific measures against energy poverty in their national buildings’ renovation plans. Finally, independent and accessible one-stop shops for renovations, and essential forums for access to free and impartial information must be created for every 45 000 inhabitants.’

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