ECOS has co-signed a letter with 12 other organisations calling on Dan Jørgensen, EU Commissioner for Housing and Energy, to turn policy into action with a financing strategy that will bridge the energy renovation gap.
With approximately 97% of the EU building stock to be upgraded, sufficiency and proactive material selection can significantly reduce extraction and embodied carbon in the construction sector. But a more sustainable material selection can only happen if the information on the environmental performance of products is reliable, comparable, and robust.
Our homes, workplaces, and schools should offer shelter from – not worsen – the climate crisis. Find out how a new EU Commissioner for Housing and the Built Environment could make that happen in our manifesto.
A clear, unambiguous, and ambitious definition for all fossil fuels-related provisions is needed under the EU's EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive). Our position paper gives guidance on phasing out financial incentives for stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels under the epbd.
On 12 April, the Council of the European Union approved the revised directive on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD). As a next step, the European Commission will issue guidance on what qualifies as fossil fuel boilers. We call for a clear, unambiguous, and ambitious definition of fossil fuel heating in buildings to help the EU achieve its energy and climate goals in the built environment. Read the position paper for more details.
Heating and cooling accounts for a staggering 80% of energy used in EU households – with 75% of that coming from fossil fuels. This pollutes as much as all the cars in the EU combined. There are solutions at our fingertips, but policymakers must step up and deliver on climate targets. Here’s how.
The EU Taxonomy Regulation defines environmentally sustainable activities and introduces key performance indicators (KPIs) for buildings and construction to make a ‘substantial contribution’ to mitigate climate change. These KPIs however do not incentivise low-impact construction materials and therefore fail to cover a significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector.
EU legislators suggested an end of fossil heating subsidies by 2025, targets to renovate EU’s building stock, and a reduction of buildings’ carbon footprint. However, the law leaves much leeway when it comes to national implementation, jeopardising its own social and environmental goals.
Together with 18 European NGOs, ECOS has sent a letter to EU policymakers ahead of the final Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) calling for ambitious National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs). These plans can set a foundation that will see the worst-performing homes and buildings in Member States being renovated, helping to reduce energy demand and alleviate energy poverty across the EU.
We are looking for a highly motivated Head of Buildings & Industry to lead our high-impact work towards a decarbonised, sustainable and circular built environment and industry.
ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
